Karnataka Minister Ramalinga Reddy directs officials to challenge Tamil Nadu plea in SC over Cauvery water release

Karnataka Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Monday directed department officials and legal counsel to challenge a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government in the Supreme Court alleging that Karnataka violated the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) order.

Karnataka Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Monday directed department officials and legal counsel to challenge a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government in the Supreme Court alleging that Karnataka violated the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) order. The State government will file an appeal against Tamil Nadu's petition, Reddy said.

The minister also noted that dams in Karnataka are already full and excess water is currently flowing out and reaching Tamil Nadu. The development comes amid ongoing disputes between the two States over sharing of Cauvery water and compliance with CWMA directives.

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, 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, 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 Tamil Nadu 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. 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 Cauvery water dispute is a long-running inter-state river water-sharing conflict with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu being the principal parties. The dispute revolves around how the waters of the Cauvery River should be shared, particularly during years of low rainfall. (ANI)