The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to entertain the Tamil Nadu government’s plea challenging Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu dam project on the Cauvery River, terming it “premature” at this stage.

A bench of CJI Bhushan R Gavai along with Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria noted that the draft pre-feasibility report (DPR) for the dam is still under consideration by the Central Water Commission (CWC) and will require scrutiny and approval from the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).

“At this stage… the CWC has further directed that prior approval of these authorities would be a prerequisite for considering the DPR. In that view of the matter, we find the present application to be premature,” the bench said.

The court reiterated its consistent stance of not intervening in technically specialized matters and recalled its August 25, 2023 order, which left rainfall and storage assessments to the CWMA. The bench emphasized that Tamil Nadu would remain free to challenge the project once the DPR receives CWC approval.

During the hearing, Tamil Nadu argued that the Mekedatu project would illegally impound crucial water flows, threatening downstream irrigation and violating the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (2007) award and the Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling. Senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi represented the state.

Karnataka, represented by Senior Advocate Shyam Divan, countered that the project would not affect the water already allocated to Tamil Nadu and that the state remains committed to releasing 177.25 TMC of water as mandated by the Supreme Court. Divan stressed that Karnataka should be allowed to continue preparatory work subject to statutory approvals.

The bench clarified that Karnataka remains bound to release its allocated share, and any failure could lead to contempt proceedings, with the CWMA responsible for ensuring compliance.

In essence, the Supreme Court held that the current plea was premature because expert bodies are still examining the DPR, and Tamil Nadu can pursue legal remedies after formal approval is granted.