New Delhi, August 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday Tamil Nadu’s plea seeking directions to Karnataka to release 26.954 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of Cauvery water, as the long-running dispute between the two neighbouring states over sharing of the river water continues.
According to the Supreme Court’s cause list, a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta will hear the matter on August 17.
Tamil Nadu approached the apex court alleging that Karnataka had failed to comply with directions issued by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).
The plea followed the CWRC’s decision at its 139th meeting on July 28, after reviewing hydrological and meteorological conditions in the Cauvery basin. The committee directed Karnataka to ensure a flow of 3,500 cusecs at Biligundlu for 15 days from July 29 to August 12.
It also directed Karnataka to regulate releases from the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) and Kabini reservoirs to maintain the stipulated flow. The CWMA, at its 54th emergency meeting on July 30, examined the basin conditions and endorsed the CWRC recommendation.
Tamil Nadu, however, has alleged that the water received at Biligundlu following the directions was substantially below its claimed share.
According to the Tamil Nadu government, Karnataka’s four major Cauvery basin reservoirs had a combined storage of 77.537 tmcft as of August 3. The KRS held 23.078 tmcft, Kabini 18.610 tmcft, Harangi 7.827 tmcft and Hemavathi 28.022 tmcft, with total utilisable storage stated at 67.517 tmcft.
Tamil Nadu has argued that the storage position, coupled with heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of the KRS and Kabini reservoirs and improved inflows, meant Karnataka could release the state’s proportionate share.
The state has maintained that, under prevailing hydrological conditions and the prescribed sharing formula, 26.954 tmcft should be made available to Tamil Nadu at Biligundlu. It has contended that the CWMA-directed release of 3,500 cusecs for 15 days would amount to only around 4.536 tmcft and was therefore inadequate.
The matter was earlier deferred to August 17 after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant informed the parties that Justice Vikram Nath, who was scheduled to hear it on August 13, had fallen ill.
Senior advocate P. Wilson also mentioned an application filed by farmers in connection with the Cauvery dispute. The CJI agreed to tag the farmers’ application with the Tamil Nadu government’s petition.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka on Saturday accused the state government of secretly releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu despite its public position that not even a drop would be released.
Ashoka alleged that water was being released from the KRS reservoir at night even as farmers in Karnataka faced shortages and people struggled for drinking water.
Targeting Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Water Resources Minister N. Chaluvarayaswamy, Ashoka accused the government of adopting a “two-faced” approach to the dispute and said the BJP would intensify protests across Karnataka if the releases were not stopped.
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