---
title: "Supreme Court Defers Cauvery Water Dispute Hearing Due to Judge's Illness"
url: https://projectchintan.com/article/supreme-court-defers-cauvery-water-hearing-aug-17-cju08
publisher: Project Chintan
author: Project Chintan Newsroom
section: Politics
published: 2026-08-12T06:12:59.468Z
modified: 2026-08-12T08:45:12.856Z
language: en-IN
---

# Supreme Court Defers Cauvery Water Dispute Hearing Due to Judge's Illness

The Supreme Court postponed a hearing on Tamil Nadu's plea against Karnataka regarding Cauvery water release. The delay is due to Justice Vikram Nath's viral fever, with the hearing now scheduled for August 17.

## Key takeaways

- The Supreme Court hearing on Tamil Nadu's plea regarding Cauvery water release from Karnataka has been deferred to August 17.
- The delay is due to Justice Vikram Nath, who was to head the bench, recovering from viral fever.
- Tamil Nadu alleges Karnataka has failed to comply with CWMA directives for water release, including a recent order for 12,000 cusecs daily.
- Karnataka faces pressure to release water while also considering its own farmers' interests and hydrological conditions.

The Supreme Court has rescheduled a hearing on Tamil Nadu's request for Karnataka to release Cauvery river water. The session, originally set for Thursday, is now slated for August 17. This postponement is a result of Justice Vikram Nath, who was designated to lead the bench, being unwell with a viral fever.

Tamil Nadu has petitioned the Supreme Court, alleging that Karnataka has deliberately failed to adhere to directives concerning water release. The state also sought to ensure that a mandated flow reaches the Biligundlu inter-state border point and that Karnataka compensates for any accumulated shortfall.

The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) had previously directed Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of water daily for 15 days, starting from Wednesday, to Tamil Nadu. This directive followed a decision by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC). At this rate, Karnataka would be required to release approximately 15.55 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic feet) of water over the 15-day period.

Earlier, Tamil Nadu had approached the court alleging Karnataka's non-compliance with a directive to release 3,500 cusecs per day, which would have amounted to 4.536 TMC by August 12. According to Tamil Nadu's claims, the actual water flow recorded at Biligundulu between July 29 and August 2 was significantly less than the required amount.

Separately, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and some farmers filed an application seeking immediate directions for Karnataka to release Cauvery water at Biligundulu. They emphasized the critical importance of the current period for farmers in the Cauvery Delta, particularly for the Kuruvai paddy crop and preparations for the Samba crop.

In response to the CWMA's latest directive, Karnataka's Chief Minister D K Shivakumar stated that the state would assess water availability before deciding on its next steps, emphasizing the need to protect the interests of Karnataka's farmers while complying with the authority's orders. Karnataka had previously requested the CWMA to postpone decisions on further releases until the monsoon ends, citing severe hydrological distress in the Cauvery basin, with its four reservoirs receiving a cumulative inflow of only 77.746 TMC ft.

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Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/supreme-court-defers-cauvery-water-hearing-aug-17-cju08
Reported from: Multiple Sources