---
title: "Karnataka to Challenge Cauvery Water Release Order in Supreme Court"
url: https://projectchintan.com/article/karnataka-approaches-supreme-court-cauvery-water-release-erf66
publisher: Project Chintan
author: Project Chintan Newsroom
section: Politics
published: 2026-08-12T17:00:34.429Z
modified: 2026-08-12T19:45:06.434Z
language: en-IN
---

# Karnataka to Challenge Cauvery Water Release Order in Supreme Court

Karnataka's Water Resources Minister announced the state will file a Supreme Court plea challenging a directive to release 12,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu. The minister cited difficulties in implementation and prioritized drinking water needs.

## Key takeaways

- Karnataka will file a Supreme Court petition challenging the directive to release 12,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu.
- The state's Water Resources Minister cited the difficulty of implementing the order and the priority of drinking water needs.
- Karnataka believes Tamil Nadu has greater drinking water reserves and aims to conserve its own water until June 2027.
- The decision was made in consultation with the Chief Minister and legal and technical teams.

Karnataka intends to file a legal challenge in the Supreme Court regarding a decision by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA). The authority upheld a direction from the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) for Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu at a rate of 12,000 cusecs per day for 15 days.

## What Happened

Karnataka's Minister for Water Resources, N. Cheluvarayaswamy, stated on Wednesday that the state is preparing to approach the Supreme Court. He indicated that the filing might occur on Thursday. The decision to pursue legal action was made in consultation with the Chief Minister, D.K. Shivakumar, and the former Water Resources Minister, Ramalinga Reddy, along with legal and technical advisors.

## Why It Matters

Minister Cheluvarayaswamy described the current order to release 12,000 cusecs, which amounts to approximately 15 tmcft of water, as too difficult to implement. He emphasized that in such a distress situation, the state must prioritize its drinking water requirements. The minister also noted that Tamil Nadu has greater water storage for drinking water needs compared to Karnataka. Furthermore, the state needs to conserve drinking water until June 2027, given weather forecasts suggesting a potential lack of significant rainfall during August and September.

## Key Facts

- Karnataka plans to approach the Supreme Court regarding the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s decision.

- The decision upheld a directive for Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.

- Karnataka's Water Resources Minister, N. Cheluvarayaswamy, announced the intention to file a plea before the Supreme Court.

- The minister stated that implementing the 12,000 cusecs order is difficult, potentially requiring the release of about 15 tmcft of water.

- Priority will be given to drinking water needs in Karnataka.

- Tamil Nadu reportedly has more water storage for drinking water requirements than Karnataka.

- Karnataka anticipates a need to conserve drinking water until June 2027 due to expected poor rainfall in August and September.

- The report was published on August 12, 2026.

---
Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/karnataka-approaches-supreme-court-cauvery-water-release-erf66
Reported from: Multiple Sources