Tamil Nadu Reports Continued Surplus of Cauvery Water for the Year

Between June 2025 and May 2026, the State reported water allocations at Billigundulu totaling approximately 330 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft.). This figure significantly exceeds the 177.25 tmc ft. allocated as per the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in 2007, which was later amended by the Supreme Court in 2018.

The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal was established to resolve longstanding disagreements among the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Puducherry regarding the sharing of the waters of the Cauvery River. The Tribunals decision aimed to provide a fair distribution of water resources, taking into account the agricultural and domestic needs of the states involved.

The substantial increase in recorded water use at Billigundulu raises questions regarding water management and allocation practices in the region. Monitoring will be essential in the coming months as stakeholders look to address any implications of this over-extraction on future water availability and inter-state relations.