The Supreme Court has declined to entertain a new petition concerning the allocation of Cauvery river water, ruling that it will not admit third-party claims into an active legal dispute between the state governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta observed that allowing petitions from private societies in an interstate conflict already being litigated by the two states would result in endless proceedings. The dismissed plea had presented several requests, including a demand to reallocate 70 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of Cauvery water to Karnataka from Tamil Nadu’s share.
Compliance and Regulatory Directives
The rejection comes amid ongoing proceedings over water discharge between the neighbouring states. The Karnataka government previously told the apex court that it had released surplus water to Tamil Nadu as of August 31 and was abiding by the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s (CWMA) directive to maintain a flow of 9,000 cusecs.
That mandate stemmed from an August 25 decision in which the CWMA upheld a recommendation from the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) instructing Karnataka to provide a 9,000-cusec flow to Tamil Nadu across a 15-day period. Earlier, on August 17, the top court had ordered Karnataka to comply with the CWMA’s water release instructions.
Tamil Nadu’s Deficit Claims
Tamil Nadu has voiced continued dissatisfaction over its water receipts during a rain-deficient year. The state government, led by Joseph Vijay, had approached the apex court on August 3 seeking an order for Karnataka to release water immediately. In its filing, the state asserted that both the quota set by the CWRC and the volume actually discharged by Karnataka fell far short of requirements.
Tamil Nadu also informed the Supreme Court that it had formally raised the issue of water delivery backlogs with the regulatory authority, but no directives were issued to address the shortfall.
