WaterDispute – Tamil Nadu Moves Supreme Court Over Cauvery Water Release Delay
WaterDispute – The Tamil Nadu government has moved the Supreme Court after alleging that Karnataka did not release Cauvery water as directed by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), arguing that the State has not received its allocated share despite official instructions.
Tamil Nadu Challenges Karnataka’s Compliance
The Tamil Nadu government filed a petition before the Supreme Court on Monday, requesting judicial intervention over Karnataka’s alleged failure to follow the CWMA’s directions on Cauvery water release. According to an official statement, the legal move was taken after repeated concerns that the mandated volume of water had not reached the inter-state border as scheduled.
CWRC and CWMA Issued Release Directions
The dispute follows the 139th meeting of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) held on July 28. During the meeting, the committee directed Karnataka to release water from the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) and Kabini reservoirs to ensure a flow of 3,500 cusecs at Biligundlu beginning at 8 a.m. on July 29. The release was to continue for 15 days, ending on August 12.
The following day, the CWMA convened its 54th emergency meeting to examine rainfall patterns and water availability across the Cauvery basin. After reviewing the latest hydrological and meteorological data, the authority approved the committee’s recommendation without making any changes.
Water Flow Remained Below the Directed Quantity
Tamil Nadu stated that the actual inflow recorded at Biligundlu between July 29 and August 2 remained well below the prescribed level. During this period, the reported flow varied between 158 and 550 cusecs, substantially lower than the 3,500 cusecs ordered by the regulatory authorities.
The State argued that this shortfall affected the implementation of the agreed water-sharing arrangement and prompted the decision to seek legal relief.
Reservoir Storage and Rainfall Cited by Tamil Nadu
In its statement, the Tamil Nadu government maintained that Karnataka possessed sufficient water reserves to comply with the directions. As of August 3, the combined storage in Karnataka’s four major Cauvery basin reservoirs—Krishnaraja Sagar, Kabini, Harangi and Hemavathi—stood at 77.537 tmcft, including 67.517 tmcft of live storage.
Tamil Nadu further pointed to heavy rainfall in the catchment areas feeding the KRS and Kabini reservoirs, stating that increased inflows had strengthened Karnataka’s capacity to release water without significant operational difficulty.
State Seeks Its Proportionate Share
Based on the prevailing hydrological conditions, Tamil Nadu asserted that it is entitled to receive 26.954 tmcft of water at Biligundlu under the principle of proportionate sharing. The government also argued that the 4.536 tmcft release directed by the CWMA was already lower than what the updated water conditions would justify.
Officials said Karnataka had failed to release even the quantity specified by the authority, despite improved storage levels and inflows.
Supreme Court Petition Filed
The Tamil Nadu government said the decision to approach the Supreme Court was taken after consultations with senior legal counsel. Acting on the advice received, the Chief Minister instructed officials to initiate legal proceedings seeking appropriate directions from the apex court.
The petition, submitted on Monday, requests the Supreme Court to ensure implementation of the CWMA’s orders and facilitate the release of Tamil Nadu’s due share of Cauvery water within the prescribed timeframe.