The Supreme Court issued formal notice to the Karnataka government on an urgent application filed by Tamil Nadu seeking direction for the immediate release of twenty thousand million cubic feet of Cauvery basin water. The petition asserted that prolonged shortfall releases into the Biligundlu measuring reservoir have precipitated severe irrigation crises across the fertile delta agricultural belt.
Appearing before the three-judge bench, senior counsel for Tamil Nadu submitted that deficit inflows have jeopardized standing paddy crops and deprived rural districts of essential drinking reserves. In response, Karnataka’s legal team cited acute monsoon rain deficits across watershed catchment reservoirs, arguing that local dam storage levels must be prioritized for domestic urban consumption.
The apex court directed the Cauvery Water Management Authority to submit a comprehensive technical assessment detailing actual reservoir inflows, evaporation losses, and storage capacities across both riparian states. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing following receipt of the regulatory authority’s ground audit report.
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Sources:
https://www.thehindu.com/news/top-news-of-the-day-september-24-2026/article71503849.ece