The Cauvery Water Authority confirmed the Cauvery Water Management Board’s instruction to Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs per day to Tamil Nadu for 15 days

Cauvery flowing through Bengaluru South district. Karnataka expressed its inability to provide any additional releases on the grounds that it had to prioritize its limited water supplies for drinking water needs. | Photo credit: K. MURALI KUMAR

Karnataka, reeling under severe drought, is once again in a difficult situation as the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on Thursday upheld the state’s earlier directive of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) to ensure release of Cauvery water at the rate of 3,000 cusecs per day for 15 days to Tamil Nadu. The total release in 15 days will be 3.88 tmcft.

According to the order, the release will have to start from 8 am on October 9 (Friday). The specified leak must be provided at Biligundlu interstate water meter.

Earlier, Karnataka had expressed its inability to provide any additional releases, citing that it had to prioritize its limited water storage for drinking water needs. The state pointed out that it was in the grip of a severe hydrological crisis, which was characterized by a 54% deficit in cumulative inflows to its four reservoirs in the Cauvery basin.

Compared to the 30-year average inflow of 257,633 tmcft, the four reservoirs received only 257,633 tmcft this season. The state said its water situation is critical as there is no scope for any recharge as the southwest monsoon, which is the mainstay of its weather system, has ended.

While its reservoirs had a total storage of 46,968 tmcft, water availability from all sources was estimated at 57 tmcft. But the state would need 45 tmcft of water to ensure drinking water supply, environmental flows besides accounting for evaporation, he said, while pointing out that it would be left with a “grossly inadequate” amount of 12 tmcft to take care of irrigation needs.

On the contrary, Karnataka claimed that Tamil Nadu’s situation was better as it had a storage of 37,997 tmcft in its reservoirs, which was expected to touch 244,997 tmcft considering downstream contributions and groundwater availability as it was expected to have a normal northeast monsoon.

Karnataka argued that any decision on water sharing between the states must reflect the actual hydrological difficulties, storage in reservoirs, transient contributions to the basin and seasonal rainfall patterns in both states.

Tamil Nadu claimed that the release of water to irrigate the samba crop was delayed by 81 days, leading to crop stress.

Tamil Nadu claimed to have received only 46,047 tmcft of water against the stipulated 127,706 tmcft, leaving a backlog of 15,022 tmcft. She approached the CWRC to direct Karnataka to resolve this backlog.

After hearing both the states, the CWRC directed Karnataka to ensure the release of 3,000 cusecs per day for 15 days, aggregating to 3.88 tmcft.

Published – 8 Oct 2026 23:58 IST