Cauvery Water Management Authority Upholds Recommendation for Daily Water Release to Tamil Nadu

The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on Thursday rejected Karnataka's plea to defer the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu and upheld a recommendation directing the state to release 3,500 cusecs of water daily for the next 15 days, prompting political parties, farmer groups and Kannada organisations closed ranks against the order. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar called an all-party meeting on August 2 to discuss the issue and decide the state's future course of action after the authority upheld the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's (CWRC) July 28 recommendation. In a statement, the Chief Minister's Office said: "The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), at its meeting held today, has affirmed and endorsed the decision of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee on 28.07.2026, directing Karnataka to ensure a daily flow of 3,500 cusecs at Biligundlu for a period of 15 days." According to the CMO, Karnataka had urged the CWMA to keep the CWRC's direction in abeyance for another fortnight, citing severe hydrological distress caused by deficient inflows. The state said inflows into its reservoirs were 65.65 per cent below the 30-year average because of Super El Niño and sought a review after assessing the evolving hydrological situation. Karnataka also argued that Tamil Nadu would benefit from both water releases from Karnataka and the forthcoming northeast monsoon, while also having substantial carry-over storage from previous releases. The state further contended that maintaining a flow of 3,500 cusecs at Biligundlu would require releasing nearly 7,000 cusecs because of transmission losses and dry river conditions, while stressing the need to conserve about 40 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of water to meet drinking water requirements until June 2027. Tamil Nadu, however, urged the authority to increase the daily release beyond 3,500 cusecs, arguing that the prevailing hydrological situation warranted a higher quantum of water.