Karnataka Rejects Claims on Cauvery Refusal, Points to Reservoir Crisis, AIADMK Hits Out

The Cauvery water-sharing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has escalated, with Karnataka citing poor monsoon inflows and low reservoir storage as the reason for not releasing water, while the AIADMK demanded that Tamil Nadu immediately secure its June and July water share .

Karnataka Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy clarified that he had not stated Karnataka would refuse to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. He said the state's position was dictated by negligible inflows into the four key reservoirs KRS, Kabini, Harangi and Hemavathy and insufficient storage to meet drinking water needs.

Reddy said decisions on water releases are taken by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) based on recommendations of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) , and not by the Karnataka government. As of June 30, 2026 , the four reservoirs held 15.761 TMC of live storage, which Karnataka said was inadequate to meet drinking water requirements for the next three months. He added that the CWMA and CWRC had advised basin states to conserve water, prioritising drinking water and environmental flows , amid a rainfall deficit linked to El Niño .

Meanwhile, AIADMK chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami accused Karnataka of ignoring the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award and the Supreme Court verdict on water sharing. He urged the ruling TVK government to immediately secure Tamil Nadu's pending allocation, saying farmers in the Cauvery Delta and residents of over 20 districts depend on the river for irrigation and drinking water.

The latest exchange highlights the recurring interstate dispute over the Cauvery, where deficient monsoon rainfall, competing water needs, and reservoir shortages continue to fuel tensions despite the river-sharing mechanism overseen by the CWMA.