The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has filed an application in the Supreme Court seeking an urgent directive to the Karnataka government to release Tamil Nadu’s share of Cauvery river water. The move follows a recent decision by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), which upheld a recommendation from the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) for Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water daily for 15 days at the Biligundlu border point. The DMK argues that despite these binding statutory directions, Karnataka has failed to release the water, threatening the livelihoods of farmers in Tamil Nadu's Cauvery delta region who rely on the Mettur reservoir for irrigation.
In its petition, the DMK also requested that the court order Karnataka to clear an accumulated backlog of approximately 9.46 TMC of water that was due as of July 26. To address this shortfall, the party proposed that Karnataka release 7,000 cusecs per day over a 15-day period. The application emphasizes that the current monsoon season has seen deficient rainfall in the basin, making the timely arrival of water critical for the Kuruvai crop. The DMK has further asked the Supreme Court to direct the CWMA to monitor reservoir releases and daily inflows at the border more strictly and to submit regular compliance reports to the court.
The Cauvery water dispute is a long-standing conflict between the two states, rooted in historical agreements and complex irrigation needs. While the Supreme Court issued a final judgment in 2018 to govern water sharing, the implementation often faces friction during years of low rainfall. The DMK’s legal intervention highlights the ongoing tension as both states balance their agricultural and urban water requirements against the backdrop of changing climate conditions and seasonal water scarcity.