NEW DELHI, Aug 17: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea filed by the Tamil Nadu government seeking directions to Karnataka for the immediate release of its due share of Cauvery water.
The matter is listed before a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, according to the apex court’s cause list for August 17.
The hearing follows the Supreme Court’s August 12 decision to take up petitions filed by Tamil Nadu and other parties, including the DMK, concerning the sharing of Cauvery water between the two neighbouring states.
Tamil Nadu approached the Supreme Court on August 3, claiming that Karnataka was not releasing its required share of water despite the state facing water shortages during a rain-deficient year.
In its plea, the Tamil Nadu government contended that both the quantity recommended by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and the actual discharge by Karnataka were considerably below the state’s requirement.
The CWRC, during its meeting on July 28, had directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days beginning July 29.
However, Tamil Nadu claimed that the actual flow recorded at Biligundlu remained between 158 and 550 cusecs from July 29 to August 2, significantly below the prescribed level.
The state government has also cited reservoir storage figures in Karnataka to support its demand. According to a Tamil Nadu government statement, the combined storage in Karnataka’s Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS), Kabini, Harangi and Hemavathy reservoirs stood at 77.537 TMC as of August 3.
Tamil Nadu maintained that Karnataka had sufficient water available in its reservoirs and would not face difficulty in releasing the state’s proportionate share.
It further said that recent rainfall in the catchment areas of the KRS and Kabini reservoirs had improved water availability. Based on the prevailing storage position, Tamil Nadu estimated that 26.954 TMC should be released at Biligundlu as its proportionate share.
The state government also questioned the allocation of 4.536 TMC by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), describing the quantity as inadequate.
Tamil Nadu has alleged that Karnataka has failed to release its due share and has urged the Supreme Court to intervene to ensure compliance with the water-sharing arrangements.
The dispute comes amid continuing concerns over water availability in the Cauvery basin, with both states closely monitoring reservoir levels and inflows during the monsoon season.
The Supreme Court’s hearing on Monday is expected to consider Tamil Nadu’s demand for directions to Karnataka regarding the release of water and the issues raised by the parties in their respective pleas.