Cauvery row: Karnataka to appeal CWMA after CWRC orders 3,500 cusecs release to Tamil Nadu
Synopsis
Karnataka has refused to comply with a CWRC order to release 3,500 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, citing a 66% rainfall deficit and just 46 TMC in its reservoirs — of which 12 TMC is earmarked for drinking water in 10 districts. The state is now appealing to the CWMA, setting up another flashpoint in one of India's most contentious inter-state water disputes.
Key Takeaways
Karnataka will appeal to the CWMA against a CWRC order to release 3,500 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days .
The state has only 46 TMC of water in its reservoirs; 12 TMC is reserved for drinking water across 10 districts .
Rainfall in the Cauvery basin is down nearly 66 per cent from normal levels this year.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy said Tamil Nadu has around 41 TMC at the Mettur reservoir and faces no drinking water crisis.
Karnataka has not released any water to Tamil Nadu as of 29 July ; all releases are monitored by the Central government .
The CWMA is expected to convene shortly to hear Karnataka's appeal.
Karnataka on Wednesday, 29 July decided to challenge a Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directive before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), after the regulatory body ordered the state to release 3,500 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days. Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy said the state was in no position to comply, citing a severe rainfall deficit in the Cauvery basin and critically low reservoir storage.
What the CWRC Ordered and Karnataka's Response
The CWRC directed Karnataka to begin releasing 3,500 cusecs of water from Thursday morning for a period of 15 days. Minister Reddy said the state would not comply and announced an immediate appeal to the CWMA. 'The CWRC has directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water from Thursday morning for a period of 15 days. However, we are not in a position to release water to Tamil Nadu at present. We have decided to file an appeal before the CWMA today itself,' he said at a press conference held at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru, after meeting senior officials from the Water Resources Department, Cauvery basin authorities, and legal experts.
The Rainfall and Storage Crisis
Karnataka currently has only 46 TMC of water available across its reservoirs, according to Reddy. Of this, approximately 12 TMC is reserved to meet drinking water requirements across 10 districts, leaving the state with severely constrained surplus. Rainfall in the Cauvery basin has reportedly fallen by nearly 66 per cent compared to normal levels this year — a deficit that the minister described as 'severe.' 'If there had been adequate rainfall, we would have supplied the required quantity. However, rainfall in the Cauvery basin has been significantly below normal,' Reddy said.
Karnataka's Position on Tamil Nadu's Water Situation
Reddy pushed back on the urgency of Tamil Nadu's demand, claiming the neighbouring state was in a relatively comfortable position. According to available data cited by the minister, Tamil Nadu has approximately 41 TMC of water stored in the Mettur reservoir and has received nearly 36 TMC from rainfall this season. 'There is no drinking water crisis there,' he asserted. Under Tamil Nadu's calculations, Karnataka was expected to release 39 TMC of water this season — an obligation Reddy said could only be met under conditions of normal rainfall.
BJP Allegations Dismissed, Legal Representation Defended
Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka had alleged that Karnataka failed to effectively present its case before the CWRC. Reddy rejected the charge outright. He said Sriramaiah, the state's Principal Technical Advisor on inter-state water disputes, had represented Karnataka's interests before the tribunal and had done so across successive governments — including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) administration — for nearly 30 years. 'These allegations are completely false,' Reddy said. He also questioned the rationale behind BJP-backed farmer protests, noting that Karnataka had not committed to releasing any water and had only announced an appeal.
What Happens Next
The CWMA is expected to convene a meeting shortly to consider Karnataka's appeal. Reddy confirmed that no water had been released to Tamil Nadu as of Wednesday and reiterated that all releases are monitored by the Central government. On reports of a possible visit by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to Karnataka for bilateral talks, Reddy said he had no official information, adding that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar was the appropriate person to address the question. The Cauvery dispute, one of India's longest-running inter-state water conflicts, now awaits the CWMA's next move.
Point of View
But the political optics are sharp — the state is publicly signalling it will not absorb the cost of a rainfall failure on behalf of a downstream neighbour, even under a tribunal-backed directive. The 66% deficit figure, if verified, is a strong card, but the CWRC would not have issued its order without examining the same data, which means the dispute is as much about how distress is calculated as about actual availability. Notably, the Cauvery conflict recurs almost every dry year, and the CWMA-CWRC architecture has rarely resolved disputes faster than political negotiations. The reported phone call between Chief Ministers Shivakumar and Vijay may matter more than any authority ruling.
NationPress
29 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has Karnataka refused to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu?
Karnataka says it has only 46 TMC of water in its reservoirs against a 66% rainfall deficit in the Cauvery basin this year, with 12 TMC already earmarked for drinking water in 10 districts. Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy said the state simply cannot spare water under these conditions and has appealed to the CWMA.
What did the CWRC order Karnataka to do?
The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu starting Thursday morning for a period of 15 days. Karnataka has declined to comply and is challenging the order before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).
What is the CWMA and what role does it play?
The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) is the apex body that oversees implementation of the Supreme Court's Cauvery water-sharing award. It hears appeals against orders passed by the CWRC and has the authority to issue binding directions to the Cauvery basin states.
How much water does Tamil Nadu currently have, according to Karnataka?
According to Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Tamil Nadu has approximately 41 TMC of water stored in the Mettur reservoir and has received around 36 TMC from rainfall this season. Reddy said there was no drinking water crisis in Tamil Nadu, though Tamil Nadu's own position on this was not available at the press conference.
Could Karnataka and Tamil Nadu resolve this through direct talks?
Chief Ministers D.K. Shivakumar and C. Joseph Vijay have reportedly spoken, and there are unconfirmed reports of a possible visit by Vijay to Karnataka. Reddy said he had no official information on the visit and deferred to Shivakumar for comment, while the formal process of the CWMA appeal proceeds in parallel.
