The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) has upheld a directive requiring Karnataka to ensure a daily water flow of 6,000 cusecs to neighbouring Tamil Nadu over a 15-day period. The decision emerged during the 57th meeting of the authority in New Delhi, chaired by S K Haldar, following an earlier recommendation by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC).
Karnataka officials immediately contested the mandate, citing depleted basin inflows and severe storage constraints across state reservoirs. State Water Resources Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy branded the directive absurd, stating that the administration is actively considering an emergency petition before the Supreme Court to challenge the mandated water transfers.
CWMA Endorses Regulation Committee Order
The dispute centers on an order finalized during Tuesday's sessions in the national capital, where representatives from both riparian states presented their respective storage positions and irrigation demands. The CWRC had earlier recommended that Karnataka maintain a continuous flow rate of 6,000 cusecs at the Biligundulu inter-state water gauge starting at 8 a.m. on September 9. This directive translates to an aggregate volume of approximately 7.8 tmcft over the designated fortnight.
The regulatory endorsement follows a series of escalating water-sharing directives issued over preceding weeks. On August 25, the CWMA upheld a previous committee recommendation ordering Karnataka to ensure a higher daily flow of 9,000 cusecs for 15 days, which had succeeded an earlier instruction directing a release of 12,000 cusecs daily beginning August 12. Tamil Nadu representatives pressed their case at the latest meeting by demanding an increased allocation of up to 17,000 cusecs to support ongoing agricultural requirements and municipal supplies.
Karnataka Cites Severe Inflow Deficits and Storage Strains
State authorities in Bengaluru pushed back sharply against the scheduled releases, arguing that shrinking basin inflows render compliance nearly impossible without compromising local water security. Minister Cheluvarayaswamy emphasized that the state is operating under acute distress conditions that preclude meeting Tamil Nadu's full demands.
"Our officials strongly argued the ground realities at the CWRC meeting. Tamil Nadu had sought 17,000 cusecs of water. However, inflows into the Cauvery basin have declined considerably over the past week. In such a distress situation, even releasing 6,000 cusecs is impossible for us. We are making continuous efforts to ensure that no water is released," Cheluvarayaswamy told reporters.
Detailing internal allocations, the minister noted that approximately half of the state's available reservoir storage is currently ring-fenced exclusively for drinking water requirements. Controlled releases have been managed to sustain municipal supplies in regions such as Chitradurga, replenish local ponds, and protect livestock, while crop irrigation has been prioritized through the Bhadra and Upper Krishna projects.
Compliance Record and Legal Recourse Under Consideration
Addressing the state's adherence to prior mandates, Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Limited Managing Director Mahesha noted that Karnataka has transferred approximately 33 tmcft of water toward the Biligundulu border point thus far in compliance with existing regulatory directives. He maintained that the state has operated within the framework of distress-sharing proportions despite the prevailing drought-like pressures.
However, state leadership expressed deep frustration with the institutional mechanism governing the dispute. Cheluvarayaswamy criticized decision-making structures located in the national capital, arguing that federal panels fail to grasp ground-level agricultural realities. The state government indicated it would consult Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to evaluate filing an immediate legal challenge in the Supreme Court.
Procedural Background and Judicial Context
The latest regulatory clash unfolds against a backdrop of active judicial oversight. The CWMA's review session was convened directly after the Supreme Court instructed the Tamil Nadu government to channel its grievances regarding proportional water delivery through the statutory authority rather than seeking immediate judicial intervention without exhausting administrative forums.
This legal fencing reflects the recurrent nature of inter-state water disputes between the two riparian neighbors during lean monsoon cycles. While federal bodies attempt to balance competing agricultural demands for crops such as Tamil Nadu's Kuruvai cultivation against drinking water obligations in Karnataka, shifting basin hydrology continues to strain the established distress-sharing formula.
State officials are expected to finalize their legal strategy following consultations in Bengaluru, while the 15-day release window commences under formal protest from the Karnataka administration.
