Cauvery dispute: TN moves SC against Karnataka for not releasing water

Tamil Nadu has moved the Supreme Court against Karnataka for failing to release its share of Cauvery water. The move follows Karnataka's non-compliance with directives from the Cauvery Water Management Authority and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee.

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to ensure the release of Cauvery water to the State, following the alleged failure of the Karnataka government to comply with the orders of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC).

Water Release Mandate Ignored

According to an official release, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay instructed the State government to approach the Supreme Court after Karnataka failed to release the mandated share of Cauvery water despite directions issued by the CWMA and CWRC.

At its 139th meeting held on July 28, 2026, the CWRC, after assessing the hydrological and meteorological conditions in the Cauvery basin, directed Karnataka to ensure the release of 3,500 cusecs of water at Biligundlu from July 29 to August 12, 2026, by releasing water from the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) and Kabini reservoirs. The decision was subsequently ratified at the 54th emergency meeting of the CWMA held on July 30.

However, the State government said that between July 29 and August 2, the actual inflow at Biligundlu ranged only between 158 and 550 cusecs, far below the quantity ordered by the authorities.

Tamil Nadu Presents Its Case

The release further stated that as of August 2026, Karnataka's reservoirs held substantial water storage, including 23.078 TMC in the KRS reservoir, 18.610 TMC in Kabini, 7.827 TMC in Harangi and 28.022 TMC in Hemavathi, taking the total storage to 77.537 TMC, with a usable storage of 67.517 TMC.

The Tamil Nadu government argued that Karnataka therefore faces no difficulty in releasing Tamil Nadu's due share of water on a proportionate basis.

The government also pointed out that due to increased rainfall in the catchment areas of the KRS and Kabini reservoirs, Tamil Nadu is entitled to receive 26.954 TMC of water at Biligundlu on a proportionate basis. It said this is significantly higher than the 4.536 TMC directed by the CWMA.

Citing Karnataka's failure to release even the proportionate share of water due to Tamil Nadu, and based on the advice of senior legal counsel, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay directed the State to move the Supreme Court on Monday seeking appropriate orders.

Accordingly, a petition was filed before the Supreme Court on August 3 seeking directions to resolve the issue and ensure that Tamil Nadu receives its rightful share of Cauvery water within the stipulated time, the release added. (ANI)

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