Tamil Nadu Appeals to Supreme Court Over Cauvery Water Dispute with Karnataka

The Tamil Nadu government has taken legal action by filing a petition in the Supreme Court concerning the Cauvery water dispute with Karnataka. The state claims that the water allocated to it is inadequate compared to what Karnataka has released. Following discussions with legal experts, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has emphasized the need for timely resolution to ensure Tamil Nadu receives its rightful share of water. The situation escalated after Karnataka was instructed to release water, but the actual flow has been significantly lower than required. This legal move aims to address the ongoing water allocation issues between the two states.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 3, 2026, 17:25 IST

Tamil Nadu's Legal Action on Water Allocation

Chennai, August 3 - The Tamil Nadu government has approached the Supreme Court regarding the ongoing Cauvery water dispute with neighboring Karnataka. The state claims that the volume of water allocated to it by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) is insufficient compared to what Karnataka has released. An official statement indicated that Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay directed the filing of a petition in the apex court after discussions with senior legal advisors on the matter.

During a meeting of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee on July 28, Karnataka was instructed to release 3,500 cubic feet per second of water for a period of 15 days starting July 29. This directive was later upheld by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA). However, the statement noted that the water flow at Billigundulu between July 29 and August 2 ranged from 158 to 550 cubic feet per second.

As of August 3, Karnataka's reservoirs, including Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS), Kabini, Harangi, and Hemavati, contained a total of 77.537 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water, indicating that there should be no issues in releasing Tamil Nadu's share. Following recent rainfall in the catchment areas of Karnataka's KRS and Kabini dams, the water released at Billigundulu (Krishnagiri district, Tamil Nadu) should be 26.954 TMC. The statement emphasized that the CWMA's order to allocate only 4.536 TMC is significantly below the required amount.

It further stated that Karnataka has failed to provide Tamil Nadu with its rightful share of water. In light of this, a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court to resolve the issue and ensure timely delivery of Tamil Nadu's legitimate water share as directed by the Chief Minister.