What changed
2026-08-26 17:00 UTC → 2026-08-27 07:47 UTC ·
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In early July 2026, rising water levels in Tamil Nadu’s Vaigai Dam and Veeranam Lake eased immediate drinking-water shortages across five districts, though officials warned that storage remained insufficient for regular irrigation and that inter-state water-sharing disputes persisted. Two weeks later, heavy rains in the Krishna basin lifted Karnataka’s Almatti reservoir above the 100 TMC mark, while key reservoirs in the Cauvery basin stayed well below last year’s levels. The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) urged both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to give drinking-water needs priority over irrigation and maintained the existing water-sharing arrangement, noting ongoing releases to Tamil Nadu. By late July, Karnataka’s Cauvery-basin reservoirs such as Kabini and Krishnarajasagar remained markedly low, creating a drought-like situation that threatened agricultural and drinking-water supplies. The state’s chief minister scheduled a meeting with Tamil Nadu’s chief minister on August 3 to discuss the contested Cauvery sharing framework and the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir. On 3 August, Karnataka released water from the Kabini Dam at an increased 25,000 cusecs, aiming to move the flow through the dry Cauvery riverbed toward Tamil Nadu’s Mettur Dam. By mid-August, intensified southwest monsoon rains in Karnataka boosted inflows, leading to increased discharge from Kabini—peaking at approximately 27,000 cusecs—and additional releases from the Krishnaraja Sagar dam. Consequently, inflows into the Mettur dam rose to 7,151 cusecs. While recent rainfall reductions have led authorities to decrease release volumes, existing flows continue to reach Hogenakkal, and Mettur is currently releasing approximately 1,500 cusecs to satisfy downstream drinking water needs. By late August, continuous releases from Karnataka’s Kabini and Krishnarajasagar (KRS) dams caused water inflow at Hogenakkal to reach 12,000 cusecs. Following these inflows, the Tamil Nadu government announced that water from the Mettur Dam will be released to irrigate the Cauvery Delta districts. On August 25, officials confirmed that Chief Minister C. C Joseph Vijay is expected to officially open the sluice gates on September 1, 2026, to begin irrigation in the Cauvery Delta. This decision follows a significant delay from the traditional June 12 release date, which was missed due to low reservoir levels and insufficient inflows from Karnataka. This delay has reportedly impacted Kuruvai paddy cultivation, with the area under this crop decreasing by approximately 42,000 hectares. Water Resources Minister N Anand stated that the release is planned for a 45-day period, though the exact schedule remains dependent on storage levels and incoming inflows. As of late August, the Mettur Dam’s water level was approaching the 90-foot mark, a critical threshold for starting irrigation operations. While low storage previously made continuous irrigation unfeasible, the government noted that essential drinking water supplies have been maintained.