New Delhi, May 26: The 51st meeting of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) was held on Tuesday in New Delhi. The meeting was chaired by Authority Chairman S.K. Halder. Dr. Satyabrata Sahu, Principal Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department and a member of the Authority, participated via video conferencing from the Secretariat in Chennai.
During the meeting, the representative from Tamil Nadu detailed the state’s water storage situation and various issues related to the distribution of Cauvery River water. He reported that as of May 25, the water storage level at the Mettur Dam was recorded at 40.742 thousand million cubic feet (TMC). Currently, 1,003 cubic feet of water per second is being released from the dam to meet drinking water, industrial use, and environmental flow needs.
The Tamil Nadu representative stated that during the current irrigation year 2025-26, from June 1, 2025, to May 24, 2026, the state received 329.166 TMC of water at the Billigundulu point, compared to the allocated 176.685 TMC. This includes additional or surplus water flow.
A representative from Karnataka raised the issue that the extra water released by the state should also be considered in the water allocation. The Tamil Nadu representative strongly opposed this claim, asserting that Karnataka cannot lay claim to surplus water that it failed to store in its reservoirs and subsequently released downstream.
Tamil Nadu clarified that considering surplus water as part of the regular allocation would be unjust. The state emphasized that the Supreme Court‘s orders and the Authority’s guidelines regarding Cauvery water distribution must be strictly followed.
The meeting also referenced a report from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which indicated that the southwest monsoon could arrive in Kerala on May 26. Given the likelihood of normal monsoon conditions and potential water flow into Karnataka’s reservoirs, Tamil Nadu urged the Authority to ensure the release of 9.91 TMC of water for June 2026.
The Cauvery water distribution has long been a sensitive issue between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, making this Authority meeting significant for both states.
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