Cauvery Row Returns to Supreme Court: Karnataka Challenges Order to Release 6,000 Cusecs to Tamil Nadu
Bengaluru, September 11, 2026
The long-running Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is headed back to the Supreme Court, with Karnataka filing a petition challenging a direction to release 6,000 cusecs of water daily to its neighbour for 15 days.
The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) earlier this week upheld a recommendation by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) asking Karnataka to ensure the release of 6,000 cusecs to Tamil Nadu. Karnataka has contested the order, arguing that the water in its reservoirs is barely enough to meet its own needs.
Karnataka Water Resources Minister N. Chaluvarayaswamy said the state’s appeal will be heard by the Supreme Court on Monday, September 14.
Complying while contesting
Explaining why water continues to flow to Tamil Nadu despite the state’s objections, the minister said Karnataka was releasing water until the hearing on the advice of its legal experts. Approaching the court directly without following the existing order, he said, could have weakened the state’s case.
The decision to go to the Supreme Court was taken after detailed discussions with Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. The government has also directed officials to file a review petition before the CWRC, and is considering appointing a special advocate to represent Karnataka in the case, a suggestion made by former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Chaluvarayaswamy had earlier criticised the CWRC order, pointing out that Tamil Nadu had sought 17,000 cusecs and that inflows into the Cauvery basin had fallen sharply in recent days. He also questioned whether authorities deciding the matter from Delhi fully understood the conditions on the ground.
“Acute shortage” in the basin
According to the minister, Karnataka is facing an acute water shortage, and the government has to strike a balance between complying with legal directions and securing drinking water for its people. He said the quantity of Cauvery water released to Tamil Nadu this year is the lowest in the last 20 years, a figure that underlines how poor the season has been in the catchment.
The state government says its priority is twofold: protecting the interests of farmers while ensuring enough water is reserved for drinking. To that end, irrigation water is being supplied to Karnataka’s farmers on a rotational basis, and efforts are under way to fill lakes and tanks across the basin.
The government also plans to hold sufficient storage in the four major Cauvery basin reservoirs, Krishnaraja Sagar, Kabini, Harangi and Hemavathi, to meet drinking water needs from December through June. These reservoirs supply water not only to farmland in the Old Mysore region but also to millions of residents in Bengaluru, Mysuru and other towns.
Tamil Nadu’s delta farmers under pressure
On the other side of the border, the shortfall has hit farmers in Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery delta hard. Water from the Mettur Dam was released for delta irrigation only on September 1, well after the traditional June 12 date, and much of the short-term kuruvai paddy crop has already been affected by insufficient water.
Political leaders in Tamil Nadu have pressed their case strongly. PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss said this week that Karnataka was required to release 92.31 TMC of water between June and early September under the Supreme Court-mandated sharing arrangement but had supplied only 31.60 TMC, leaving a shortfall of about 61 TMC. He urged the Tamil Nadu government to explain how it would ensure water for the upcoming samba and thaladi seasons.
Tamil Nadu has consistently maintained that it will not compromise on its rights under the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award and the Supreme Court’s 2018 verdict, which fixed the annual allocation between the states and led to the creation of the CWMA and CWRC to oversee water releases.
Mekedatu and Mahadayi: the long-term push
Beyond the immediate legal battle, the Karnataka government is pressing for progress on the Mekedatu and Mahadayi projects, which it says could offer a lasting solution to the state’s water problems.
The proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir on the Cauvery near the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border is intended mainly to store water for Bengaluru’s drinking needs and to regulate flows, according to Karnataka. Chaluvarayaswamy said discussions had been held with Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil on the project and expressed confidence that approval would come soon. Tamil Nadu, however, has long opposed Mekedatu, fearing it would further reduce flows to the delta, making it one of the most contentious elements of the dispute.
The Mahadayi (Mhadei) project, which involves diverting water toward the Malaprabha basin to address drinking water shortages in north Karnataka, faces its own dispute with Goa.
What to watch on September 14
When the Supreme Court takes up Karnataka’s plea on Monday, the central question will be whether the release order can be modified in light of the state’s reservoir position and drinking water needs, or whether Karnataka must continue releasing water as directed.
Distress years have always been the hardest test of the Cauvery sharing arrangement, and this season is proving no different. With farmers on both sides of the border depending on the river and major cities relying on its reservoirs, the court’s decision will be closely watched in Bengaluru and Chennai alike.