Cauvery water plea rejected by Supreme Court

Supreme Court’s latest order keeps the present framework intact.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has refused to entertain a petition seeking 70.91 TMC of Cauvery water from Tamil Nadu’s share for Karnataka, saying that allowing organisations to separately litigate inter-State disputes could lead to endless proceedings.

The writ petition was filed by the Cauvery River Protection Committee, which challenged aspects of the existing water-sharing arrangement between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The matter was heard by a Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta.

The organisation argued that the current sharing formula had deficiencies and sought additional water for Karnataka’s drinking water requirements, industries, lift irrigation, second-crop cultivation and environmental needs.

Among its key demands was the transfer of 70.91 TMC from Tamil Nadu’s allocation to Karnataka. The petitioner also sought directions to the Cauvery Water Management Authority to prepare a scientific distress-sharing formula based on rainfall and the availability of water in the river basin.

The committee had contended that a more scientific mechanism was necessary to deal with years of inadequate rainfall and ensure that water was distributed according to actual availability during periods of distress.

The Supreme Court, however, declined to entertain the petition. The Bench observed that the Cauvery dispute was already being litigated between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and that there were established legal mechanisms for addressing issues arising between the two states.

The court indicated that permitting different organisations to file separate petitions concerning an inter-State dispute could result in continuing litigation without a clear end.

With the dismissal of the petition, there is no change to the existing Cauvery water-sharing arrangement on account of this plea. The request for transferring 70.91 TMC from Tamil Nadu to Karnataka has therefore not been accepted through the petition.

The Cauvery dispute has for decades involved competing demands from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over water for irrigation, drinking water and other requirements. Rainfall-dependent years have frequently intensified the disagreement, particularly when reservoir levels fall and both states seek adequate supplies.

Karnataka has maintained that its drinking water and other essential requirements must be protected during distress situations, while Tamil Nadu has continued to rely on the established allocation framework.

The Supreme Court’s latest order keeps the present framework intact, while the broader inter-State Cauvery dispute continues to be governed through the existing judicial and institutional mechanisms.