CM directs Supreme Court petition after Karnataka fails to release Tamil Nadu's Cauvery water share

PRESS RELEASE As the Government of Karnataka has failed to release water to Tamil Nadu as directed by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC), a case has been filed in the Hon'ble Supreme Court on the instructions of Hon'ble Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Thiru S. Joseph Vijay At its 139th meeting held on 28.07.2026, the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee reviewed the hydrological-meteorological situation of the Cauvery basin and directed the Government of Karnataka to ensure the release of water at the rate of 3,500 cusecs at Billigundulu from 29.07.2026 (8.00 a.m.) for the next 15 days (29.07.2026 to 12.08.2026), from the Krishnaraja Sagar and Kabini reservoirs. The hydrological-meteorological situation of the Cauvery basin was also reviewed at the 54th (emergency) meeting of the Cauvery Water Management Authority held on 30.07.2026, and the Committee's decision was affirmed. Following the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's order, the quantity of water received at Billigundulu from 29.07.2026 to 02.08.2026 was only between 158 and 550 cusecs. As on 3rd August 2026, the total water storage in Karnataka's reservoirs stood at 77.537 TMC (with a usable storage of 67.517 TMC) — comprising 23.078 TMC at KRS, 18.610 TMC at Kabini, 7.827 TMC at Harangi, and 28.022 TMC at Hemavathi. Therefore, the Government of Karnataka would face no difficulty in releasing Tamil Nadu's proportionate share of water from its reservoirs at Billigundulu. Meanwhile, as heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of the KRS and Kabini reservoirs has increased inflows, the quantity of water due to Tamil Nadu at Billigundulu on a proportionate basis works out to 26.954 TMC. Accordingly, the 4.536 TMC directed by the Cauvery Water Management Authority is grossly inadequate. In this situation, since the Government of Karnataka has failed to release the water due to Tamil Nadu on a proportionate basis, and since the quantity of water due to Tamil Nadu on a proportionate basis is 26.954 TMC, the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, on the advice of senior counsel, directed today (03.08.2026) that the Hon'ble Supreme Court be approached to obtain an appropriate order. As per the instructions of the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, a petition has been filed today (03.08.2026) in the Hon'ble Supreme Court to resolve this issue and to secure Tamil Nadu's due share of water within the stipulated time. ••••••••• Released by: Director, Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Chennai-9