Mekedatu Dam Row Returns; Tamil Nadu Steps Up Strategy

The long-running Tamil Nadu-Karnataka dispute over the proposed Mekedatu dam has returned to the spotlight. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay chaired a key consultative meeting with senior ministers to discuss the state's strategy on the Cauvery water dispute, with the government expected to announce its next steps soon. Meanwhile, DMK MPs staged a protest in Parliament wearing green towels in solidarity with farmers and demanded the reconstitution of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal while urging the Centre to halt the Mekedatu dam project. The issue has once again intensified the political and water-sharing tensions between the two southern states.