In a significant case over time in the longstanding Cauvery river dispute, the Supreme Court has dismissed Tamil Nadu’s review petition against Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu project, effectively putting the government under Chief Minister Joseph Vijay’s thumb in the cheek.
The Tamil Nadu government had filed a review petition seeking reconsideration of the 2025 judgment of the Supreme Court, which had refused to consider the state’s petition concerning the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir as well as drinking water project across the Cauvery River.
The bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi dismissed the review petition, stating that no question would be needed to go back and revisit the earlier verdict. All the issues raised in the review petition and the relevant documents of that petition and the attached documents have been carefully reviewed.
We have no valid reason to consider the judgment,” the bench said while dismissing Tamil Nadu’s plea. The Supreme Court earlier rejected Tamil Nadu’s petition to stay a stay on the Mekedatu project in Karnataka in November 2025. The court later observed that the proposal was still under study by the authorities and expert bodies, including the Cauvery Water Management Authority.
It said that judicial intervention at that point would not be appropriate because several committees were already examining the project. The Mekedatu project has been marred by much contention between Tamil Nadu & Karnataka, with Karnataka stating that it is vital to provide drinking water for Bengaluru and nearby regions, and Tamil Nadu having consistently been downcast on the project, expressing misgivings on water sharing and the impact on downstream farmers.
The most recent Supreme Court ruling follows reports that the Karnataka government is gearing up to do the ‘Bhumi Puja’ for the ambitious project. According to the reports, Tamil Nadu chief minister Joseph Vijay had called for an emergency meeting and instructed officials to escalate the litigation to stop Karnataka from advancing with the dam building and to protect Tamil Nadu’s rights over the Cauvery river waters.
But the Supreme Court has given temporary legal relief to Karnataka without ruling on the review plea and thus approved the move to proceed with its proposed project, but is awaiting final approvals to proceed by environmental and regulatory authorities.
