Cauvery water dispute: DMK moves SC to direct Karnataka to release Tamil Nadu's share

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has approached the Supreme Court, seeking a direction to Karnataka to release Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery water in accordance with the orders of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).

The application, filed by advocates Richardson Wilson and Lokesh Krishna and settled by senior advocate P. Wilson, urges the court to direct Karnataka to forthwith and fully implement the CWRC's July 28 direction, confirmed by the CWMA on July 30, ensuring a flow of 3,500 cusecs per day at the inter-state contact point at Biligundlu.

The party also sought an order for Karnataka to make good the accumulated backlog of about 9.46 TMC due at Biligundlu, computed on a pro-rata/distress-sharing basis. It suggested this could be achieved by releasing approximately 7,000 cusecs per day at Biligundlu over a period of 15 days. Additionally, the DMK requested the court to direct the CWMA to monitor the releases and file a compliance report.

The application contends that despite the binding directions of the CWRC and CWMA, Karnataka has neither released the water nor evinced any intention of doing so. It notes that senior Karnataka government functionaries have publicly declared that the state will not release water and will instead pursue its legal remedies.

The DMK highlighted the severe impact on the Cauvery delta region, stating that about 14.913 lakh acres of net area in the delta depend on the Mettur reservoir for irrigation. The reservoir, in turn, relies on flows at Biligundlu from Karnataka's releases. Approximately four million farmers and ten million agricultural labourers directly and indirectly depend on Mettur water for their livelihoods.

The party pointed out that farmers in the lower riparian districts of Tamil Nadu, including Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruchi, and other delta districts, are the worst affected. It said the kuruvai crop is already withering for want of water, and unless the directed releases are immediately effected and the backlog cleared, standing crops will be irretrievably lost, causing enormous damage and gravely affecting farmers' livelihoods.

The application attributed the shortage to a deficient southwest monsoon this year, which has affected the Cauvery basin. Flows at Biligundlu have been significantly low for this reason, it added.

The Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has a long history, with multiple judicial and regulatory interventions. The CWRC and CWMA were constituted under the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal verdict, as modified by the Supreme Court in 2018, to manage the sharing of water among the riparian states. This latest legal move comes amid ongoing concerns about water availability and the welfare of farmers dependent on the river.