A river that’s fed two states for over a century is once again splitting them apart. This time, the flashpoint is a single number: 3,500 cusecs a day.
That’s what the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) has ordered Karnataka to release to Tamil Nadu daily for 15 days starting July 29, 2026 — roughly 4 TMC of water in total, measured at the Biligundlu gauging station.
Why Reservoirs Are Running Dry
The order lands in the middle of a genuine crisis. Karnataka’s four Cauvery basin reservoirs are just 54% full, with the crucial Krishnarajasagar dam down to 34%. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu has received only 3.5 TMC of water since June 1 — far short of its normal 31 TMC share — leaving delta farmers in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, and Nagapattinam staring at possible crop failure for their Kuruvai paddy.
Two States, Two Urgent Cases
Karnataka says it simply doesn’t have enough water to spare — it’s already banned irrigation releases and is racing to appeal the order, with CM D.K. Shivakumar and Minister Ramalinga Reddy calling an emergency legal meeting. The opposition BJP has threatened street protests if any water leaves the state.
Tamil Nadu, backed by farmer groups and opposition parties, wants the Supreme Court-mandated schedule enforced immediately. CM C. Joseph Vijay is pushing for direct talks with Karnataka rather than a purely legal fight.
A Century-Old Fault Line
None of this is new. The dispute traces back to a 1924 colonial-era agreement, and a 2018 Supreme Court verdict that split the river’s flow — 177.25 TMC to Tamil Nadu, 284.75 TMC to Karnataka — without ever fixing a binding formula for drought years like this one.
Adding to the tension: a fresh row over Karnataka’s Mekedatu reservoir project, which Tamil Nadu argues threatens its downstream rights.
The two chief ministers are due to meet in Bengaluru on August 3 to try to hammer out a distress-sharing framework — the next real test of whether this ends in cooperation or another courtroom battle.
