CWMA orders Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days
Bengaluru, August 11
The Cauvery Water Management Authority has directed Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu at Biligundlu, starting 8 am on August 12 for the next 15 days.
The decision was taken at CWMA's 55th meeting held on August 11, where the Authority affirmed and endorsed the recommendations of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC).
Karnataka cited "severe hydrological distress" and told the CWMA that inflows into its four Cauvery reservoirs KRS, Kabini, Hemavathi and Harangi have been 47 per cent below the 30-year average at 77.746 TMC, with inflows rapidly declining.
The State said it has already ensured 86,942 cusecs at Biligundlu against the prescribed 52,500 cusecs, and argued there is "no scope for further releases" due to deficient monsoon and limited storage. Karnataka said it needs to conserve water for drinking, essential uses and Kharif agriculture.
Karnataka also argued that distress sharing must be equitable and not based only on its inflows. It sought that any decision be based on actual hydrological realities up to the Lower Coleroon Anicut and asked for transparent, independent daily data from LCA and tail-end regulators.
Karnataka urged CWMA to either defer further release decisions or downsize the CWRC's 12,000 cusecs order to 10,000 cusecs.
Tamil Nadu countered that Karnataka's claim of reserving water for Bengaluru's one-year drinking needs is "not justified" and should not be used to deny its legitimate share.
Citing IMD data, TN said the rainfall deficit from June 1 to August 10 was only 9 per cent upstream of KRS and 19 per cent upstream of Kabini, while the deficit downstream of Biligundlu was much higher at 36 per cent. It also questioned Karnataka's projection of North-East Monsoon benefits and said the substantial downstream flow currently is largely due to surplus/spills from Kabini, while releases from KRS have not been effected.
Tamil Nadu demanded that Karnataka be directed to regulate releases from both KRS and Kabini and to ensure a total of 37 TMC at Biligundlu by August 31, 2026, accounting for backlog and pro-rata dues.
Rejecting Karnataka's request for a reduction, the CWMA upheld the CWRC decision and ordered, "Karnataka shall ensure releases from its reservoirs so that flows 12,000 cusecs are realized at Biligundlu starting from 12.08.2026 (8 am) for the next 15 days."
The order is likely to intensify protests in the Cauvery basin districts of Karnataka, where farmers and political leaders have already been demanding that no water be released to Tamil Nadu citing distress conditions.
The Authority said it will continue to monitor the evolving monsoon, inflows and end-season storages before taking further decisions.
— ANI
Reader Comments
It's been a century-old dispute and it seems nobody has the courage to find a permanent solution. The Supreme Court gave a clear ruling, and the CWMA is just implementing it, but the real issue is the monsoon isn't cooperating. As a neutral observer, I feel both states need to sit together and find a water-sharing formula that considers climate change and erratic rainfall patterns. We can't keep having this fight every single year.
Why doesn't the central government step in and create a national water grid? We are in 2026 and still fighting over river water like this. Instead of releasing water to TN, Karnataka should build more check dams and improve water storage infrastructure. We need better water management, not just court orders. Also, why is nobody talking about the fact that TN has a higher deficit downstream (36%) compared to upstream (9-19%)? Both states have genuine problems, but the solution needs to be scientific, not political.
As someone from Bengaluru, I'm worried about the drinking water situation. If we keep releasing water to TN, what will happen to our city's water supply next summer? The city is already facing severe groundwater depletion. The Karnataka government should stand firm and challenge this order in the Supreme Court. We cannot compromise on essential drinking water needs for our 1.4 crore residents. 12,000 cusecs for 15 days is 15.5 TMC - that's huge when we have limited storage.
I understand the sentiment in Karnataka, but we also need to think about the farmers in Tamil Nadu who are equally dependent on Cauvery water for their livelihood. The issue is that climate change is making monsoon unpredictable, and we need a mutual understanding. That said, the CWMA should have considered Karnataka's hydrological distress data more seriously. Instead of a blanket order, they could have looked at a phased release or reduced the quantity. Blaming either state doesn't solve the problem - we need a long-term cooperative framework.
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