New Delhi [india], August 17 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Karnataka government to ensure compliance with the Cauvery Water Management Authority's (CWMA) directions on the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta posted for hearing on August 24 Tamil Nadu's plea seeking directions for the release of water, observing that the matter could be taken up then so that an updated status on the water release could be placed before it.
The bench asked Karnataka to ensure compliance with the CWMA directions and adjourned the case.
""Let this matter be posted after a week so that further status regarding the release of water can be reported. In the meantime, the respondent to ensure compliance of CWMA directions," the bench said.
During the hearing, senior advocate CS Vaidyanathan, appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, argued that Karnataka was not complying with the CWMA's directions and that the State was not receiving the water required for release to farmers.
He submitted that Karnataka's reservoirs were holding around 76 per cent of their live storage capacity as of Monday morning.
He said Tamil Nadu had received just 14 TMC of water, against the 64 TMC due to it under the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award.
Even after factoring in the reduced flows during the distress year, Tamil Nadu was entitled to 55.29 per cent of the available water, he argued, resulting in a backlog of nearly 20 TMC.
On the other hand, senior advocate Shyam Divan, representing Karnataka, rejected Tamil Nadu's claim that the State had failed to comply with the CWMA's directions, citing what he described as "extremely severe distress" in the Cauvery basin.
He submitted that the CWMA had considered the prevailing water shortage before issuing its directions. According to Divan, the Authority's initial order required Karnataka to maintain a release of 3,500 cusecs for 15 days, till August 11, a requirement he said the State had fulfilled and, in fact, exceeded by releasing considerably more water during the period.
Divan told the bench that the flow on Monday morning had risen to 12,607 cusecs and that the reservoir gates had been opened and Karnataka would endeavour to maintain the CWMA-directed flow of 12,000 cusecs despite the difficulties faced by the State.
Tamil Nadu has approached the top court seeking enforcement of a decision by the CWMA directing Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of Cauvery water daily for 15 days.
Tamil Nadu government moved the top court on August 3, challenging the non-implementation of the CWMA's July 30 direction for the release of water from Karnataka's Kabini and Krishna Raja Sagara reservoirs.
The State has sought a total release of 4.536 TMC of water, corresponding to 3,500 cusecs per day over 15 days. It has urged that the stipulated quantity be released by August 12.
It sought directions to resolve the issue and ensure that Tamil Nadu receives its rightful share of Cauvery water within the stipulated time.
The DMK, the opposition party in the state, had also approached the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Karnataka government to immediately release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu in accordance with the February 16, 2018 judgment of the apex court and subsequent directions issued by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).
In an application filed in the long-pending Cauvery water dispute, the DMK, represented by its Farmers Wing Secretary AKS Vijayan, sought enforcement of the CWRC's July 28, 2026 direction, upheld by the CWMA on July 30, 2026, requiring Karnataka to ensure a flow of 3,500 cusecs per day at Biligundlu for 15 days commencing July 29.
The application sought direction to the CWMA to monitor the releases from the reservoirs of Karnataka and the flows realised at Biligundlu on a day-to-day basis and to report compliance to the apex court.
The DMK contended that Karnataka has failed to comply with the binding directions despite their affirmation by the statutory authorities constituted under the Cauvery Water Management Scheme, 2018.
The applications come against the backdrop of the long-running dispute between the two States over the sharing of Cauvery river waters. (ANI)
Cauvery water dispute: SC asks Karnataka to ensure compliance with CWMA directions on water release to TN
