Karnataka to challenge Cauvery water release order at Supreme Court

Karnataka will present its case against mandatory water releases to Tamil Nadu before the Supreme Court on September 14, according to state Water Resources Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy. The hearing comes as the two states remain locked in their long-standing dispute over Cauvery water sharing, with Karnataka seeking relief from existing allocation orders.

Cheluvarayaswamy said the state has been pursuing alternative measures to address water scarcity in the river basin. Initial cloud-seeding operations launched to artificially induce rainfall have not produced significant results so far, the minister acknowledged.

However, officials expressed optimism about improved outcomes in the coming weeks. Weather conditions are expected to become more favourable following the Gowri-Ganesha festival, which typically marks a shift in monsoon patterns across the region. This period is anticipated to yield better results from the ongoing cloud-seeding initiative.

The Cauvery dispute has remained a contentious issue between the two neighbouring states for decades, with multiple court orders attempting to regulate the sharing of waters from the river system. Karnataka's latest legal challenge adds another chapter to the protracted water-sharing controversy that has significant implications for agriculture and water security in both states.