The Tamil Nadu government has approached the Supreme Court for urgent directions for Karnataka to release its due share of Cauvery water. The petition states that storage in the Mettur reservoir is critically low and can support irrigation for only about 25 to 30 days at current levels. Tamil Nadu warns that further delays risk damaging irrigation and standing crops across the delta, noting that the Kuruvai crop already suffered from a delayed reservoir opening on September 1 and Samba sowing has been disrupted.
In the filing, Tamil Nadu asks the court to ensure Karnataka complies with previous Supreme Court decrees and orders from the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA). Specifically, the state wants the implementation of a CWMA direction to release 6,000 cusecs daily from September 9 to September 23, alongside the clearance of an accumulated shortfall of about 16.01 TMC at Billigundulu from July 1 to September 9.
The state described the Cauvery as the lifeline for approximately 25 lakh acres of farmland and accused Karnataka and its officials of failing to honour directions, raising the risk of wilful disobedience and contempt. While the Supreme Court is being asked to enforce compliance, Karnataka has separately challenged aspects of the 6,000-cusec order in related proceedings.