Tamil Nadu’s plea seeking directions to Karnataka to release 17 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of Cauvery water will now be heard by the Supreme Court on September 15, after the court postponed the matter on Monday.
New Delhi | August 31, 2026
Tamil Nadu has alleged that Karnataka is not fully complying with directions issued by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), resulting in the state receiving less water than the quantity prescribed by the authority. Karnataka has disputed the allegation and told the court that it is complying with the CWMA’s directions.
During the hearing, counsel appearing for Tamil Nadu said the reservoirs in the Cauvery basin were filling up. Tamil Nadu had expected a total inflow of 35 TMC feet but had received only 18 TMC feet so far, leaving a shortfall of 17 TMC feet, according to the submissions reported to the court.
Tamil Nadu’s counsel also argued that Karnataka was using a larger share of the available water for its agricultural requirements, reducing the quantity reaching Tamil Nadu. The state has therefore sought directions requiring Karnataka to release the remaining water.
The Supreme Court questioned the allegation during the hearing, asking whether Karnataka was releasing water. In response, counsel for the Karnataka government said the state was following the CWMA’s orders and was releasing more water towards Tamil Nadu than the quantity fixed by the authority.
Karnataka also told the court that several areas in the Cauvery basin had been declared drought-hit. Its submissions referred to the need to account for drinking water requirements and agricultural needs while taking decisions on water releases.
The proceedings place the CWMA’s directions at the centre of the dispute. Tamil Nadu’s case is that the prescribed quantity has not been released, while Karnataka’s position is that it is complying with, and in some instances exceeding, the authority’s requirements. The two states have therefore presented different accounts of both the quantity released and the circumstances governing further releases.
The dispute has implications for water availability in the Cauvery basin, including supplies required for drinking water and farming in the two states. The Supreme Court’s next hearing is scheduled for September 15, when the pending plea will come up again.
