South Indian Leaders to Discuss Water Sharing and Security at Chennai Conference

The 31st South Regional Council meeting, set for Thursday in Kovalam, will focus heavily on water‑sharing disputes and security challenges in South India. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who touched down in Chennai on August 19, will preside over the sessions.

Chief Ministers C. Joseph Vijay (Tamil Nadu), D.K. Shivkumar (Karnataka), V.D. Sathishan (Kerala), A. Revant Reddy (Telangana), N. Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh) and N. Rangasamy (Puducherry) will converge at a luxury hotel on the East Coast Road. Accompanying them are senior bureaucrats, including state chief secretaries and home secretaries.

While the agenda spans economic development, industrial investments and infrastructure upgrades, a substantial portion is earmarked for the Cauvery water‑sharing controversy between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Officials anticipate that the high‑level platform will enable both states to articulate positions and work toward a mutually agreeable solution under central guidance.

Security considerations will also be on the table, with discussions on crime prevention, inter‑agency coordination, and border‑related issues. The event’s security framework has been reinforced, featuring police deployment along the East Coast Road and stringent traffic control near the hotel and Chennai Airport.

The meeting aims to produce actionable recommendations that will shape inter‑state cooperation, promote sustainable development and bolster law‑enforcement synergy across the southern region.