Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Chennai on Thursday, ahead of the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting chaired by Shah at Mamallapuram.

The meeting assumed significance as Vijay raised key issues concerning Tamil Nadu's water interests and Centre-state cooperation.

The discussions came amid long-standing disagreements between Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Karnataka over the sharing of Cauvery waters and the proposed Mekedatu project.

Among the key demands raised by Vijay were:

  1. Godavari-Cauvery river linking: Vijay sought the speedy implementation of the proposed Godavari-Cauvery river-linking project and pushed for national project status for the initiative.
  2. Cauvery water: The Tamil Nadu government reiterated its concerns over the state's share of Cauvery water and the need to ensure compliance with established water-sharing arrangements.
  3. Mekedatu project: Vijay raised Tamil Nadu's objections to Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam project, which Chennai has opposed over concerns about its impact on downstream water availability.
  4. Centre-state cooperation: Vijay stressed the need for greater cooperation between the Centre and southern states on issues involving water, development and inter-state coordination.

The Godavari-Cauvery proposal is particularly important for Tamil Nadu as it seeks to bring surplus water from the Godavari basin towards water-deficit regions through a network involving the Krishna, Pennar and Cauvery river systems.

The meeting between Vijay and Shah also comes at a politically significant time in Tamil Nadu, with the TVK chief taking on a larger role in the state's political landscape.

The two leaders' interaction took place before the Southern Zonal Council meeting, where chief ministers and senior officials from southern states discussed inter-state issues and matters requiring greater coordination between the states and the Centre.