The Karnataka government informed the Supreme Court on Monday that it is fully adhering to regulatory directives on the Cauvery river dispute, having discharged water to Tamil Nadu in excess of the mandated 9,000 cusecs threshold.
Appearing before a bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta, senior counsel Shyam Divan, representing Karnataka, submitted that the state had surpassed the daily quota fixed on August 25 by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA). Divan detailed recent outflow figures, stating that 10,727 cusecs were discharged on the opening day following the order, followed by 9,888 cusecs on August 30 and 11,547 cusecs by 8:00 AM on Monday. He also pointed out that Karnataka has recently declared severe drought across several regions, including districts within the Cauvery basin.
Tamil Nadu Raises Backlog And Reduced Quotas
The submissions came during a hearing on a petition filed by Tamil Nadu seeking immediate directions for water release. Senior advocate C.S. Vaidyanathan, representing the Tamil Nadu government, contended that the state’s daily allocation had been lowered from an earlier requirement of 12,000 cusecs—stipulated for a 15-day window starting August 12—down to 9,000 cusecs without adequate justification. Vaidyanathan argued that regulatory bodies had not addressed Tamil Nadu’s accumulated water deficit and urged for an official mechanism to clear the backlog.
In response, the bench observed that Karnataka was currently releasing water as mandated and noted that if Tamil Nadu objected to the CWMA’s determination, it would need to challenge the regulatory authority’s decision directly.
Apex Court Schedules Next Hearing For September 15
Taking note that the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) convenes every fortnight to review water conditions and issue operational orders, the apex court adjourned proceedings to September 15. The judges directed both state administrations to place updated operational data and any subsequent administrative developments on record ahead of the next hearing.
The ongoing legal contest follows a series of regulatory reviews and court appearances throughout August. On August 24, the Supreme Court had advised Tamil Nadu to present its claims regarding proportionate river sharing before the CWMA. Earlier, on August 17, the court had instructed Karnataka to ensure compliance with CWMA directives.
Origins Of The Current Dispute
The Joseph Vijay-led Tamil Nadu government initially moved the Supreme Court on August 3, contending that deficient monsoon rainfall had severely impacted its rightful share. Tamil Nadu maintained that the CWRC’s earlier July 28 directive for a daily release of 3,500 cusecs over 15 days had resulted in realized flows at Biligundlu of only 158 to 550 cusecs between July 29 and August 2.
According to a Tamil Nadu government press release cited in the proceedings, combined storage across Karnataka’s four major reservoirs—KRS, Kabini, Harangi, and Hemavathy—stood at 77.537 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) on August 3. Tamil Nadu asserted that recent catchment precipitation in the KRS and Kabini dams entitled it to a proportionate share of 26.954 TMC at Biligundlu, describing the 4.536 TMC cleared under CWMA orders as severely deficient.
