Tamil Nadu has filed an urgent petition in the Supreme Court seeking directions to Karnataka to immediately release 16.01 TMC of pending Cauvery water, citing continued non-compliance with orders on river water sharing.
In its plea, the state alleged that Karnataka routinely withholds the full quantity due to Tamil Nadu by citing various reasons during meetings of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) or during court hearings. Tamil Nadu also claimed that releases are made only when there is adequate inflow into reservoirs in Karnataka.
The petition pointed to reservoir storage figures and argued that the CWMA’s ordered release was far below what Tamil Nadu should receive on a proportional basis. It further said the CWMA has not taken steps so far to secure the pending 16.01 TMC due to Tamil Nadu for the period from June 1 to September 9.
Highlighting the impact on agriculture, Tamil Nadu said Cauvery water supports irrigation across about 25 lakh acres. With the customary June release from the Mettur dam not happening on time, kuruvai cultivation was severely affected; the dam was opened only on August 1 and current storage is said to be sufficient for just 25–30 days of irrigation.
Tamil Nadu sought a direction for immediate release of the pending water, and asked the Supreme Court to ensure Karnataka’s strict compliance with CWMA orders, including the authority’s August 8 directive to release 6,000 cusecs for 15 days. The Supreme Court is expected to take up the plea soon.
