SC decides to watch progress on Cauvery water-sharing, tells Tamil Nadu water is being given
The court said it would watch the progress while seeking a fresh status report. It posted the case to August 24
On August 17, 2026, the Supreme Court announced it would monitor the development in the ongoing Cauvery water-sharing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Despite Karnataka releasing 12,000 cusecs of water at 8 a.m. on that day, the Court instructed Tamil Nadu that the State was not denying water to them. The court emphasized the importance of Karnataka adhering to the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) directives regarding water allocation.
The Bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath planned to request an updated status report before making any further decisions. The case was postponed until August 24. Karnataka's legal team, represented by senior advocates Shyam Divan and Mohan V. Katarki, refuted claims that they were not following the CWMA guidelines, stating that they had complied fully, particularly in a year marked by distress due to El Nino conditions.
They pointed out that Karnataka was able to release water from its Kabini reservoir, which had received heavy rainfall in Wayanad, Kerala, thereby overcoming the challenges. According to Karnataka's affidavit, 164,080 cusecs were released from the KRS and Kabini reservoirs between July 29 and August 10. However, Tamil Nadu argued in a recent affidavit that Karnataka's water release was not voluntary compliance.
The state requested the court to direct Karnataka to release the remaining 21.357 TMC of water that was due on August 12, as well as an additional 37 TMC from August 12 to August 31.
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