Cauvery committee chief asks T.N., Karnataka to come up with distress-sharing formula
The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee chairperson has urged Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to collaboratively develop a distress-sharing formula for water distribution. This follows ongoing disputes regarding the scientific basis of current water release mandates during dry periods.
Why it matters
Water sharing between these states is a long-standing, highly sensitive political and environmental issue that impacts agricultural stability and regional relations in India.
Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) chairperson Vineet Gupta on Wednesday (July 29, 2026) asked Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to come up with a distress-sharing formula.
When asked by The Hindu over the phone for a reaction to Tamil Nadu’s complaint that the CWRC and Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), both of which formed the implementation mechanism for the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s (CWDT) final award in 2007 as modified by the Supreme Court in 2018, had not been following a “permanent, scientific formula,” Mr. Gupta wondered, “Why don’t they work it out on their own and present it to us?”
Rejecting the criticism against the CWRC and CWMA, Mr. Gupta recalled that during the water year of 2023-24, the two bodies had worked out a distress-sharing mechanism.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in