Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has appealed to his Tamil Nadu counterpart C. Joseph Vijay to postpone a visit to Bengaluru due to tensions over a recent Cauvery water release order. The appeal follows a July 30 ruling by the Cauvery Water Management Authority directing Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.
On July 30, 2026, the Cauvery Water Management Authority upheld an earlier order from the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee directing Karnataka to release water at 3,500 cusecs daily starting July 29 for the next 15 days. Karnataka had appealed the directive, which came after Tamil Nadu requested 9.94 tmcft under a distress formula, but the committee recommended roughly half that amount.
Chief Minister Shivakumar cited protests across the state, including disruptions to screenings of the film Jana Nayagan in Mandya and Bengaluru, as reasons for seeking a postponement. He stated that the government seeks a cordial atmosphere for talks and plans to consult legal experts and opposition leaders at an all-party meeting scheduled for August 2.
Reservoir data shared by the chief minister showed improved inflows, with Harangi at 95 percent capacity, Kabini at 83 percent, KRS at 36 percent, and Hemavati at 67 percent. He noted that Karnataka has released only 0.6 tmcft to Tamil Nadu through July, the smallest amount in 100 years, and emphasized past releases exceeding requirements during good rainfall years.
Kannada organizations announced a statewide bandh on August 13 in protest against the order. The BJP has criticized the government and said it will boycott the all-party meeting unless Karnataka commits against releasing water.
