The Opposition party in Tamil Nadu, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DM), has approached the Supreme Court (SC) recently, seeking urgent directives to Karnataka to immediately release Cauvery River’s water to Tamil Nadu, alleging that the neighbouring state has still not complied with binding directives issued by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA). 

The plea, according to DMK sources, comes at a crucial juncture for farmers in Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery Delta, where standing crops and the upcoming cultivation season are said to be under severe threat due to inadequate availability of water. The move also coincides with the Tamil Nadu government’s preparations to file a separate appeal before the Apex Court over the long-standing inter-state river water dispute. 

Plea filed amid rising concerns over agricultural distress

DMK Farmers Wing Secretary and former Member of Parliament AKS Vijayan has filed the application, urging the top court to intervene immediately to safeguard the interests of farmers dependent on Cauvery waters. 

Underscoring the urgency of the matter, the petition mentions that the current phase of the agricultural calendar is the most critical period of the water year for the Cauvery Delta. 

As per the plea, the timely release of the river’s water is paramount for sustaining the standing Kuruvai (short-term) paddy crop and for carrying out land preparation and transplantation for the Samba (long-term) paddy crop, which forms the backbone of agricultural production in the delta region.

Fear of crop losses, severe impact on farmers looms

The petition also warns that any further delay in releasing water at Biligundlu could have devastating consequences for agriculture across the Cauvery Delta. 

It underlines that the existing Kuruwai crop could wither before harvest, while the upcoming Samba cultivation may also be jeopardised due to the combined shortage of river water and groundwater. 

The application also warns that the Cauvery Deltas, often described as Tamil Nadu’s ‘rice bowl ', faces the real risk of widespread agricultural distress if the supply of adequate water is not ensured during this critical period. 

DMK seeks enforcement of directives issued by CWRC, CWMA

The DMK has urged the SC to direct Karnataka to comply with the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s (CWRC) order issued on July 28, which ordered the state to release 3,500 cusecs of water per day at Biligundly for 15 days beginning July 29, 2026. 

Although Karnataka challenged the CWRC’s direction before the CWMA, the Authority junked the appeal on July 30, thereby upholding the original order. 

Settled by senior advocate P Wilson, the petition states that Tamil Nadu had informed the CWRC that Karnataka was not releasing water in accordance with the SC’s earlier judgment and the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award, which mandates a monthly flow from June to January totalling 167.25 thousand million cubic feet (TMC).

As per the plea, Tamil Nadu had also sought the release of a backlog of nearly 9.46 TMC, alleging that Karnataka had failed to meet its stipulated obligations. 

Karnataka cites water crunch, low reservoir levels

It was underlined in the application that Karnataka opposed Tamil Nadu’s demand, contending that it was facing acute water distress due to deficient rainfall, lower-than-expected inflows into reservoirs, depleted storage levels, drinking water requirements and transmission losses.

However, the DMK hit back, arguing that even the CWRC’s direction, later affirmed by the CWMA, to release 3,500 cusecs of water daily for 15 days would amount to only around 4.5 TMC, highly below Tamil Nadu’s entitlement even under a distress-sharing arrangement. 

Towards its end, the petition states that close to 14.913 lakh acres of agricultural land in the Cauvery Delta rely on irrigation from the Mettur reservoir, whose storage relies on water released by Karnataka and measured at Biligundlu.