Tamil Nadu Moves Supreme Court Over Karnataka's Failure to Release Cauvery Water

Chennai — The Tamil Nadu government has filed a petition in the Supreme Court to secure the state's rightful share of Cauvery river water from Karnataka, following the latter's continued failure to comply with regulatory authority orders.

Background

At its 139th meeting held on 28 July 2026, the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee reviewed the hydrological and meteorological conditions in the Cauvery basin and directed Karnataka to release water from the Krishnarajasagar (KRS) and Kabini reservoirs at a rate of 3,500 cusecs at Billigundulu for the next 15 days (29 July 2026 to 12 August 2026). This decision was further confirmed at the 54th emergency meeting of the Cauvery Water Management Authority on 30 July 2026.

Karnataka's Non-Compliance

Despite the committee's directive, the actual water received at Billigundulu between 29 July and 2 August 2026 was only 158 to 550 cusecs — a fraction of the ordered 3,500 cusecs.

Reservoir Storage Data

As of 3 August 2026, Karnataka's combined reservoir storage stands at:

• KRS Dam: 23.078 TMC
• Kabini: 18.610 TMC
• Harangi: 7.827 TMC
• Hemavathi: 28.022 TMC
• Total storage: 77.537 TMC (usable storage: 67.517 TMC)

The Tamil Nadu government stated that, given these storage levels, Karnataka faces no difficulty in releasing Tamil Nadu's proportional share from its reservoirs.

Tamil Nadu's Proportional Entitlement

With increased rainfall in the catchment areas of KRS and Kabini reservoirs boosting inflows, Tamil Nadu's proportional share at Billigundulu amounts to 26.954 TMC — making the Cauvery Water Management Authority's earlier order of 4.536 TMC significantly inadequate.

Chief Minister's Directive and Petition Filed

In light of Karnataka's failure to release the proportional share owed to Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister S. Joseph Vijay, acting on the advice of senior counsel, directed the state government today to approach the Supreme Court and obtain appropriate orders.

Accordingly, a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court today, seeking resolution of the dispute and timely delivery of Tamil Nadu's rightful water allocation.