he Cauvery water-sharing dispute has intensified after the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) endorsed a direction requiring Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.

The release period begins on August 12. Karnataka must regulate discharge from its Cauvery basin reservoirs so that the stipulated flow is recorded at Biligundlu, the interstate water-measuring point on the Karnataka–Tamil Nadu border.

At a continuous rate of 12,000 cusecs, Tamil Nadu would receive approximately 1.04 TMC of water each day—or nearly 15.55 TMC over the entire 15-day period.

Why was the fresh order issued?

The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) recommended the increased release during its meeting on Tuesday. The CWMA, which has the statutory authority to implement Cauvery water-sharing decisions, subsequently approved the recommendation.

The latest direction follows Tamil Nadu’s complaint that Karnataka had not complied adequately with an earlier order.

On July 28, the CWRC had directed Karnataka to ensure a flow of 3,500 cusecs daily at Biligundlu for 15 days from July 29. The order was later upheld by the CWMA.

Tamil Nadu claimed that the actual flow recorded at Biligundlu remained between only 158 and 550 cusecs from July 29 to August 2—far below the mandated quantity.

The state has now demanded that Karnataka clear the accumulated shortfall and ensure a total flow of 37 TMC at Biligundlu by the end of August.

Karnataka cites falling inflows and reservoir stress

Karnataka opposed the higher release, arguing that declining rainfall and weak inflows had placed its Cauvery basin reservoirs under severe pressure.

The state told the authority that its four major Cauvery reservoirs had received around 77.75 TMC during the monsoon period, approximately 47 per cent below the 30-year average.

Karnataka argued that available water must also be conserved for drinking purposes, essential requirements and kharif agriculture. It asked the CWMA either to postpone the fresh release or reduce the flow from 12,000 cusecs to 10,000 cusecs daily.

The state also questioned the method used to calculate water distress. It maintained that the assessment should cover the entire Cauvery basin—including reservoirs, groundwater availability and downstream catchments—rather than being based primarily on inflows into four Karnataka reservoirs.

Tamil Nadu, however, challenged Karnataka’s assessment. Citing rainfall figures, it argued that the deficit was about nine per cent in the catchment upstream of the Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir and 19 per cent above Kabini, while areas downstream of Biligundlu faced a much higher deficit of around 36 per cent.

Protests intensify in Karnataka

The fresh direction has triggered protests among farmers and Kannada organisations, particularly in Mandya and other parts of the old Mysuru region.

Farmer groups fear that releasing more water could affect irrigation and drinking-water availability within Karnataka. Pro-Kannada organisations have already called for a statewide bandh on August 13 over the Cauvery dispute.

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar is expected to hold a high-level meeting with ministers, political leaders, senior officials and legal experts to decide the state’s response to the CWMA order.

Supreme Court hearing on August 13

The dispute is also set to return to the Supreme Court on August 13. Tamil Nadu has approached the court seeking the immediate release of its allocated share, alleging that Karnataka failed to comply with previous directions.

The hearing, the planned Karnataka bandh and the latest 12,000-cusec release order are likely to keep the decades-old Cauvery dispute at the centre of political and legal attention.