The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), which met in Delhi on Tuesday (September 8, 2026), has upheld the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s (CWRC) direction to Karnataka to ensure flows to the neighbouring Tamil Nadu at a rate of 6,000 cusecs a day for the next 15 days.

Karnataka had challenged the decision of the CWRC before the CWMA. However, the CWMA endorsed the CWRC’s decision and asked Karnataka to abide by it.

Karnataka had pleaded before the CWMA that it was not in a position to ensure further releases from its Cauvery reservoirs to Tamil Nadu as the State was reeling under serious drought and that it did not have further hope of rainfall as the Southwest Monsoon itself was almost coming to an end.

Karnataka Water Resources Minister expressed disappointment over the order to release water and termed it “illogical”. He indicated that Karnataka would consider approaching the Supreme Court on Wednesday (September 9). A decision in this regard would be take after consulting Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, he said.

Maintaining that Karnataka, which was gripped by serious water shortage, was not in a position to release any quantum of water to Tamil Nadu, he said the State was trying to convince the Central authorities about the situation.

Expressing anguish over the Central monitoring authorities issuing such an order from Delhi, he said, “The authorities issuing orders on water release sitting in Delhi are unable to understand the ground level facts and conditions. There are instances of these bodies issuing such orders on earlier occasions too.”

The CWMA’s stand that Karnataka should release water to Tamil Nadu triggered angry responses in the State’s Cauvery basin with farmers resorting to protest in Mandya.