An adverse southwest monsoon has revived a long-standing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the sharing of the waters of river Cauvery. On July 28, after reviewing the situation in the drought-hit Cauvery basin, the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee directed Karnataka to release 4 tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu at a rate of 3,500 cusecs a day for 15 days.

Does the present legal framework adequately deal with drought years? Can the two States evolve a dynamic solution to a decades-old contention that can move beyond political rhetoric?

Reporting: Nalme Nachiyar

Video & Editing: Ravichandran N

Published - July 31, 2026 06:22 pm IST