Supreme Court to hear Tamil Nadu plea seeking Cauvery water from Karnataka on August 13

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear on August 13 Tamil Nadu’s petition seeking an order directing Karnataka to release the state’s allocated share of Cauvery water

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana considered submissions from Tamil Nadu’s counsel, who said the state was being deprived of its expected share amid inadequate rainfall.

The Chief Justice said the matter would be listed for hearing on Thursday. The Tamil Nadu government filed the petition on August 3, contending that Karnataka had not released the quantity of Cauvery water required under the decisions of the water-management authorities.

At its July 28 meeting, the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs daily for 15 days beginning July 29. The order was subsequently supported by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).

Tamil Nadu, however, said the actual flow recorded at Biligundlu was considerably lower, ranging from 158 to 550 cusecs between July 29 and August 2.

According to the state government, Karnataka’s four reservoirs — KRS, Kabini, Harangi and Hemavathy — together held around 77.537 TMC of water as of August 3. Tamil Nadu argued that Karnataka therefore had sufficient storage to release the state’s proportionate share.

The state further said that, following rainfall in the catchment areas feeding the KRS and Kabini reservoirs, the amount that should reach Biligundlu would work out to approximately 26.954 TMC.

Tamil Nadu maintained that the CWMA’s allocation of 4.536 TMC was substantially below what it considered its due share and asked the Supreme Court to intervene.