The Tamil Nadu government has assured the Madras High Court that Cauvery water will reach the Thula Ghat in Mayiladuthurai by November 16, before the Aippasi Theerthavari festival concludes. The assurance was given in response to a public interest litigation seeking water for devotees expected to bathe at the riverfront during the event.
The petition was filed by Mayiladuthurai-based advocate and BJP state executive committee member K. Rajendran. He sought directions for 500 cubic feet per second of water to be released daily from the Kallanai, or Grand Anicut, so that the Cauvery would have sufficient flow at the Thula Ghat for the festival.
The case was heard by a bench comprising Justices S.M. Subramaniam and R. Rajesh Vivekanathan. Lawyers appearing for the petitioner, Madhusudhanan and Venkatesan, told the court that only a few days remained before the Thula Ghat festival and requested immediate directions in the interest of devotees.
Representing the Tamil Nadu government, advocate Roshan Rithik told the court that water had already been released into the Cauvery. He assured the bench that the water would reach the Thula Ghat by November 16, allowing devotees to take a ritual bath during the Aippasi Theerthavari celebrations.
The court accepted the government’s assurance and closed the case. The proceedings place the timing of water movement through the river system at the centre of the dispute, with the government’s commitment providing the immediate basis for ending the litigation.
The case also illustrates how the availability and movement of river water can become a matter of public administration and judicial scrutiny when it affects a major gathering at a designated riverfront. For Mayiladuthurai, the assurance sets November 16 as the stated deadline for water to reach the Thula Ghat. The report did not provide further details on the volume already released, the operating authority responsible for the release or any arrangements at the ghat beyond the government’s assurance recorded in court.
