India, May 26 -- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the Centre to reject Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam project on the Cauvery river, escalating the long-running inter-state water dispute.

The letter comes amid Karnataka's push to begin Bhumi Pujan for the proposed balancing reservoir at Mekedatu, near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district, close to the Tamil Nadu border.

Vijay cites Supreme Court verdict

In his letter, Vijay argued that the proposed reservoir violates the 2018 Supreme Court judgment that upheld the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award.

"The Mekedatu dam is not on the list of projects permitted by the Tribunal," Vijay wrote, adding that the Cauvery basin has al...