The Karnataka government on Friday, 31 July announced it would finalise its position on releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu only after an all-party meeting convened for Sunday, 2 August, with Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar declaring that protecting the state's interests is the government's foremost obligation. The announcement was made at a joint press conference at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru, attended by Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara and Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy.

All-Party Meeting: What Is Being Planned

CM Shivakumar said all former chief ministers, Members of Parliament, ministers, legal experts, and senior bureaucrats have been invited to the 2 August meeting to deliberate on every dimension of the dispute. 'The all-party meeting will be briefed on the legal, hydrological, and administrative aspects of the matter. Thereafter, a decision will be taken on the future course of action,' he said.

The meeting follows a directive from the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), which on Thursday, 31 July upheld the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's (CWRC) order asking Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu for 15 days. Karnataka had filed an appeal before the CWMA seeking a reduction in the quantum and a deferment of the release dates, but the authority did not grant relief.

Reservoir Levels and the Water Deficit Argument

Shivakumar presented the state's hydrological position in detail, noting that reservoir levels varied sharply. Harangi reservoir stood at 90% capacity, Kabini at 83%, Hemavathi at 67%, and the critical Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) reservoir at only 36%. Current inflows into the system were approximately 26,000 cusecs, or around 2 TMC per day.

Notably, until July 2025, Karnataka had released only 0.6 TMC of water — the lowest in 100 years, according to the Chief Minister. He also pointed out that Tamil Nadu had originally sought 9.94 TMC of water, but the CWMA directed a release of roughly half that quantum.

Shivakumar cited last year's figures to argue Karnataka's track record: against a stipulated 177 TMC, the state released over 400 TMC to Tamil Nadu in a year of surplus rainfall. 'Much of that water eventually flowed into the sea. Tamil Nadu was also satisfied with the release,' he said.

Cross-Party Unity and Political Undertones

In a rare display of cross-party acknowledgement, Shivakumar welcomed the support of BJP MPs and Union Ministers — including Pralhad Joshi, V. Somanna, and Shobha Karandlaje — in presenting Karnataka's case before the Centre and the CWMA. He also noted that even the technical advisor appointed during former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's tenure participated in the proceedings before the CWRC.

At the same time, the Chief Minister pushed back against BJP and Kannada organisations staging protests over the issue, asserting that Congress governments have 'consistently protected the interests of Karnataka' since the tenure of former Chief Minister S. Bangarappa.

Tamil Nadu CM Visit and Diplomatic Caution

On the proposed visit of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay to Bengaluru on 3 August, Shivakumar said he had personally requested Vijay to postpone the trip given the prevailing tensions. 'His responsibility is to protect the interests of his state, while ours is to safeguard Karnataka's interests. We are both approaching this issue with that understanding and are hopeful that it can be resolved amicably,' he said.

Shivakumar also referenced broader inter-state water cooperation, noting that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had recently participated in a meeting in Karnataka on river water management, with discussions covering the Tungabhadra river and a proposed Godavari-Cauvery-Krishna river-linking project. He credited Union Minister C.R. Patil for facilitating those initiatives.

What Happens Next

The all-party meeting on 2 August will determine Karnataka's formal response to the CWMA directive. The state's legal and technical teams are expected to present compliance options, and a decision on whether — and how much — water will be released is anticipated shortly thereafter. The outcome will be closely watched by farming communities on both sides of the border and by the Supreme Court, which has jurisdiction over the broader Cauvery dispute.