The Coordination Committee of All Farmers’ Associations of Tamil Nadu has demanded a reciprocal visit of Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to delta districts of Tamil Nadu to get first hand information about the prevailing situation.

Committee president P.R. Pandian told presspersons here on Thursday that there were reports emerging that the Karnataka Chief Minister had made arrangements for an aerial survey of the catchment areas and dams in Karnataka during the proposed visit of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.

If that happened, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister should bring his Karnataka counterpart for an aerial survey of the delta districts of Tamil Nadu, though organising such meetings or inspections of the Cauvery Basin dams without the permission of the Cauvery Water Management Authority would tantamount to contempt of court, he added.

While welcoming the action of Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) in returning the Mekedatu project proposal to Karnataka, Mr. Pandian requested the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to take note of the reply from the Centre to a question by Mayiladuthurai MP R. Sudha in Parliament.

Responding to Congress MP’s question, the Union Government clarified that Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change could not grant consent without the CWMA’s permission.

Further, it had been clearly mentioned in the Supreme Court order that the upper riparian State could not take up dam construction without the consent of the lower riparian States. Hence, the committee pleaded with the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to consider these points before initiating any steps/actions with respect to the river water sharing.

Published - July 30, 2026 08:43 pm IST