Karnataka’s appeal against Cauvery water release to Tamil Nadu to come up before SC on September 14: Minister

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Karnataka’s Water Resources Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy inaugurates the State Government's cloud seeding programme by flagging off a specially equipped aircraft at HAL airport in Bengaluru on September 4, 2026. The initiative seeks to enhance rainfall in drought-affected areas and reduce water scarcity. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Minister for Water Resources N. Cheluvarayaswamy has said that the Karnataka government’s appeal against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu will come up for hearing before the Supreme Court on September 14.

Speaking to reporters in Mandya on September 11, Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy, who is also the Minister in charge of Mandya district, said there is a risk of the petition being dismissed if the State approached the court directly by violating the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) order. Hence, on the advice of legal experts, the government had no option but to continue releasing water to Tamil Nadu until September 14, he said.

Despite the severe water shortage in Karnataka, the State Government is bound to respect court orders within the framework of the federal system, he added.

However, he claimed that the quantum of water released to Tamil Nadu this time is the lowest in the last 20 years. In the past, during similarly difficult situations, the State had released as much as 35 tmc of water, he said.

The government, Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy said, remains committed to protecting farmers’ interests even as the legal team presents its arguments in court.

At present, water is being supplied to farmers’ standing crops under the rotational irrigation system while efforts are also underway to fill lakes and tanks. The Minister assured that sufficient water would be reserved in the four major reservoirs of the Cauvery basin to ensure there is no shortage of drinking water for people between December and June.

Making it clear that the government does not wish to engage in political mudslinging with the opposition over the Cauvery issue, Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy said a permanent solution to the State’s water woes would be found if BJP MPs and Union Ministers from Karnataka lobbied with the Centre to approve the Mahadayi and Mekedatu projects.

He said consultations had already been held with the Union Jal Shakti Minister regarding the Mekedatu project, and expressed confidence that approval would be secured soon.

Referring to the cloud-seeding operations undertaken in Karnataka, Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy said the initial phase had not yielded the desired results, but added that favourable weather conditions after the Gowri-Ganesha festival are expected to produce better outcomes.

Reacting to recent developments in Belagavi, he said raids by the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate have become common in Congress-ruled States as elections approach.

With Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi clarifying that he was engaged in legitimate business transactions, Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy expressed confidence that Mr. Jarkiholi would soon be vindicated, as legal proceedings would prove the allegations against him are false.

He hailed the government’s completion of 100 days in office, adding that pro-people programmes and celebrations would increase across Karnataka over the next year-and-a-half.

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