📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / NaanCoder
Agriculture
Experts Question Unaccounted Cauvery Water Flow into Tamil Nadu
✍️ The New Indian Express
🗓 08 Sep 2026, 10:33 AM
👁 30
Water experts have raised concerns over a portion of Cauvery river water that appears to be flowing into Tamil Nadu without being accounted for in the inter‑state allocation.
The long‑standing Cauvery water‑sharing arrangement between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is under fresh scrutiny after experts highlighted a segment of the river’s flow that seems to bypass the official allocation ledger. The inter‑state agreement, revised in 2007, stipulates precise volumes to be released downstream, yet recent observations suggest that additional water may be reaching Tamil Nadu unrecorded.
Hydrologists and policy analysts cited satellite imagery and river‑stage measurements indicating a surplus discharge entering Tamil Nadu’s basins during the monsoon months. They argue that the unaccounted volume, though not quantified precisely, could affect the balance of water available to Karnataka’s irrigation projects and raise questions about compliance with the tribunal’s verdict.
The experts have called for an independent audit of flow data and a transparent mechanism to reconcile on‑ground measurements with the official records. State officials from both sides have acknowledged the concerns and indicated that they will review the findings before the next round of water‑sharing negotiations.
Hydrologists and policy analysts cited satellite imagery and river‑stage measurements indicating a surplus discharge entering Tamil Nadu’s basins during the monsoon months. They argue that the unaccounted volume, though not quantified precisely, could affect the balance of water available to Karnataka’s irrigation projects and raise questions about compliance with the tribunal’s verdict.
The experts have called for an independent audit of flow data and a transparent mechanism to reconcile on‑ground measurements with the official records. State officials from both sides have acknowledged the concerns and indicated that they will review the findings before the next round of water‑sharing negotiations.