Tamil Nadu gets surplus water from Cauvery for another year

ByTech Word News

Cultivation of Kuruvai rice was started in parts of the Cauvery delta areas | Photo credit: R. Vengadesh

Tamil Nadu has again realized more water from the Cauvery in the just ended water year (2025-26) than what was stipulated for the state.

During June 2025 to May 2026, the state recorded about 330 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft.) at Billigundul on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border as against 177.25 tmc ft. prescribed in the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in the final judgment of its court in 2007 which was modified in 2007 by the Supreme Court18. The Central Water Commission (CWC) monitors the flow in Billigundul.

This was the seventh time that Tamil Nadu received more than the prescribed amount. It was also the second time that the state’s annual realization was in the range of 300 tmc ft. up to 400 tmc ft. Out of the total amount of around 330 tmc ft. during the previous year, around 292 tmc ft. was realized in the first five months (June to October), which is an unusual event.

Lack of rain likely

However, the current water year starting on June 1 (Monday) does not appear rosy. According to the latest forecast of the meteorological department, rainfall is likely to be deficient during the southwest monsoon. Besides, reservoir stocks in the Cauvery basin in Karnataka and the Mettur dam in Tamil Nadu are not as much as they were a year ago. On Wednesday (June 3, 2026), Mettur’s stock was 41.72 tmc ft., while it was 82.32 tmc ft. on the corresponding day last year. Likewise, the combined storage of the four Karnataka reservoirs was 33.62 tmc ft. against 74.5 tmc ft.

Regardless of the actual storage location, rice coverage during the Kuruvai cultivation season in Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery delta is now about 30,000 acres higher than it was a year ago. As of June 1, coverage was approximately 2.1 million acres. The official says the coverage essentially reflects those areas where there are filtration points, drawing groundwater. He expects that number to reach the 2.5 million acre mark. In view of the increase in coverage in recent years, the normal area of ​​the delta has been revised to 4.4,000 m acres. If the monsoon plays truant, coverage is unlikely to increase.

Published – June 4, 2026 1:11 PM IST