Tamil Nadu CM Proposes Rare Meeting with Karnataka Counterpart Over Cauvery Water Dispute

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has formally proposed a meeting with Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to discuss the release of Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery river water. The proposal, communicated through official channels, awaits a response from the Karnataka government.

According to a Tamil Nadu government representative, even after accounting for deficient rainfall during the current Southwest monsoon, the state estimates it is entitled to receive at least three thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) more from Karnataka. As of July 22, Tamil Nadu had received approximately 3.5 tmc ft. The shortfall, as per the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's final award, as amended by the Supreme Court in its 2018 judgment, is estimated to be about 28 tmc ft.

Tamil Nadu has requested that the meeting be scheduled between July 31 and August 3. Initially, it was considered that August 3 might be feasible, given Mr. Shivakumar's other commitments. However, no confirmation has been received from Karnataka. The state representative indicated that a response is expected within a day or two.

If the meeting takes place, it would be the first direct interaction between the chief ministers of the two riparian states in nearly 14 years. The last scheduled meeting at the chief minister level was on September 29, 2016, in New Delhi, chaired by the then Union Minister for Water Resources, Uma Bharti. However, Tamil Nadu's then Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa could not attend due to hospitalisation, and the state was represented by then Public Works Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah participated.

Before that, on November 29, 2012, Jayalalithaa met her Karnataka counterpart Jagadish Shettar in Bengaluru, following a suggestion from the Supreme Court. That meeting did not result in a compromise.

Earlier, between August 1996 and January 1997, five rounds of talks were held when M. Karunanidhi and J.H. Patel were chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, respectively. Prior to the establishment of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in June 1990, 26 rounds of negotiations took place between August 1968 and April 1990. Of these, 21 meetings involved the Union Minister for Irrigation, while five were bilateral talks between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. None of these efforts led to a resolution of the dispute.

The Cauvery water sharing issue has been a long-standing source of tension between the two states, with periodic legal and political interventions. The Tribunal's final award and the Supreme Court's 2018 judgment provide a framework for allocation, but implementation and compliance remain contentious.