Kannada activist and former MLA Vatal Nagaraj has called for a bandh on Wednesday, July 15, at the Attibele-Hosur border over the Mekedatu dam project. This was triggered by the continuous conflicts between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the Mekedatu project.
The bandh is expected to block traffic at the Attibele-Hosur border and create a shutdown zone on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu stretch. Commuters, buses, and commercial vehicles may face delays or stoppages. The protest is aimed at putting pressure on both state administrations.
Vatal Nagaraj criticised the Congress government over its handling of the Mekedatu project, questioning the commitment of former chief minister Siddaramaiah and current Chief Minister DK Shivakumar towards the project.
Referring to the Congress padayatra held three years ago in support of the project, Vatal alleged it was “not a padayatra but a five-star yatra.” He pointed out that despite Congress being in power, the government has yet to determine the land required for the project or make progress on survey work.
The dispute is hinged on the rising fear over water security. Tamil Nadu’s farmers and political groups argue that a dam at Mekedatu could reduce downstream flow to the state and hurt the Cauvery delta, whereas the Karnataka government says the project is needed for Bengaluru’s drinking water needs. Farmers in Tamil Nadu recently stepped up river protests in Tiruchirappalli.
The Mekedatu project has a long and conflicted history since the Karnataka government first explored building a dam at the gorge in 1948. In 2013, the Karnataka government formally revived the Mekedatu plan as a multipurpose reservoir and drinking water project.
Even with the Tamil Nadu government continuing opposition to the project, the plan was revised in 2017–2028, with the estimated cost rising to around Rs 9,000 crore and the Central Water Commission clearing the feasibility study. But the project remained stuck at the detailed project report (DPR) stage.
After the Supreme Court dismissed Tamil Nadu’s challenge against the Mekedatu project as premature in November 2025, Karnataka said it would move forward with a revised DPR, updating the costs and technical details. By May 2026, officials were again pushing the file forward, with Chief Minister Shivakumar, who was then deputy CM, saying the revised DPR was being prepared for submission.
This story was written by a student interning with TNM.