New Delhi, Nov. 13 -- In a major setback to Tamil Nadu, the Supreme Court (SC) this afternoon rejected to step into the Cauvery water-sharing dispute, dismissing Tamil Nadu's application against Karnataka's plan to construct Mekedatu dam.

The Supreme Court Bench comprising Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, Justice K. Vinod Chandran and Justice N.V. Anjaria, observed that Tamil Nadu's challenge to the order passed by the Central Water Commission (CWC) for the preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Mekadatu dam was "premature," as the plan would be approved only after considering the objections of the State as well as the opinion of the expert bodies, Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and the Cauvery Water Management Auth...