Supreme Court to Hear Tamil Nadu Cauvery Water Plea

The Supreme Court of India will hear a plea from the Government of Tamil Nadu on August 13 seeking directions for the Government of Karnataka to immediately release its share of Cauvery river water. The legal action follows allegations that Karnataka willfully disobeyed a July 30 decision by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to release 3,500 cusecs of water per day for 15 days.

Tamil Nadu argues that actual flows at the Biligundulu border point between July 29 and August 2 ranged only from 158 to 550 cusecs, far below mandated levels. While the CWMA allocated 4.536 TMC, the Tamil Nadu government claims that recent rainfall in Karnataka's catchment areas justifies a proportionate share of 26.954 TMC. In response to the dispute, the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) recently directed Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of water daily for 15 days.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant agreed to list the matter for hearing after submissions that Tamil Nadu is not receiving its due share during a rain-deficient year. Additionally, the DMK party has filed a separate application seeking the immediate implementation of a July 28 CWRC direction and the recovery of a water backlog of approximately 9.46 TMC to protect paddy crops in the Cauvery Delta.