PMK urges T.N. govt. to sue Karnataka for ₹1,000 crore in compensation over water-sharing disputes

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss addressing cadre at Moolakadai near Edappadi in Salem on Sunday. | Photo Credit: LAKSHMI NARAYANAN E

PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss has urged the Tamil Nadu Government to sue Karnataka for ₹1,000 crore in compensation over water-sharing disputes affecting farmers.

At a party function held in Salem on Sunday (August 23, 2026), Dr. Anbumani said that the Karnataka’s ‘failure’ to release Cauvery water had severely affected Kuruvai cultivation in Tamil Nadu. Until now two lakh acres in the Delta region have had no water for irrigation. The super El Nino effect had disrupted the southwest monsoon, reducing the chances of rain till November. Therefore, Samba cultivation is likely to be affected as well. While there is 90% water in Karnataka’s dams, that state refuses to share water. Following heavy rain in Wayanad, Kabini dam receives water and the surplus water is discharged to Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu government should fight to get its share of water from Karnataka.

Demanding an all-party meeting on the proposed Mekedatu project, Dr. Anbumani said Karnataka had said it would only use 5 tmc for the drinking water needs of Bengaluru, and leave the rest for Tamil Nadu. Would Karnataka agree if Tamil Nadu were to construct a dam and provide water to Bengaluru?

On caste census, Dr. Anbumani said that PMK founder S. Ramadoss had met with former Chief Ministers including M.G. Ramachandran, M. Karunanidhi, Edappadi K. Palaniswami and M.K. Stalin regarding the issue. But, they did not do anything. “After the TVK government came to power, I met with Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay in this regard and the government accepted the demand of the caste census. Now the announcement has come and the PMK will push for its implementation,” he said.

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.