Cauvery water war: Karnataka bandh brings a long-running feud to the fore again

Karnataka saw a mixed response to the statewide bandh on August 13, with the strongest impact reported from the Cauvery basin while Bengaluru, Mysuru and several other major urban centres largely carried on with normal life. The protest was called by pro-Kannada organisations led by activist Vatal Nagaraj to oppose the order to release 12,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

The trigger this time in the long-running water feud was a fresh round of orders from the Cauvery water-sharing authorities. The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee -- and subsequently the Cauvery Water Management Authority -- directed Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu.

Karnataka opposed the demand, citing inadequate inflows and pressure on its reservoirs. The state government said drinking-water requirements and the needs of farmers had to be protected. The CWMA nevertheless upheld the release direction, prompting pro-Kannada groups to announce the August 13 bandh.

A long-running dispute: How Cauvery case escalated in the latest instance

Between August 1-7, reservoir inflows improved after rainfall, allowing Karnataka to increase releases. The state govt indicated that it would comply with the earlier Cauvery order, although Chief Minister DK Shivakumar maintained that the threat of water stress had not disappeared.

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The government also appealed to protest groups to avoid a statewide shutdown and pursue the issue through legal and political channels.

In the subsequet days, political and legal pressure continued to build as Tamil Nadu kept pressing for its share of Cauvery water and approached the Supreme Court. The court proceedings added a legal dimension to the already deepening political confrontation between the two states.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay also backed dialogue with Karnataka, while maintaining his state's position on Cauvery water rights.

Current flashpoint in Karnataka-TN faceoff

The latest flashpoint came when the CWMA directed Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. Karnataka cited continuing hydrological stress and declining reservoir inflows, while Tamil Nadu argued that water scarcity in Karnataka could not be used to deny its share.

The order became the immediate trigger for the August 13 bandh.

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On the eve of the shutdown, the pro-Kannada camp itself was not completely united. Vatal Nagaraj remained firm on the bandh call, while some other groups scaled back their participation or offered only symbolic support.

The Karnataka government held consultations with ministers, officials and experts and indicated that it would consider its next steps after legal discussions. The state was also awaiting further proceedings in the Supreme Court.

Mandya, at the heart of the Cauvery basin, saw the most visible mobilisation. Farmers and Kannada organisations gathered at several points, including Sanjay Circle, and blocked the old Bengaluru-Mysuru highway.

Protesters carried empty vessels to highlight water shortages and used horse gram as a symbol of the crops farmers may have to turn to if inadequate water affects paddy cultivation. Police detained some activists as they attempted to disrupt things.

The protesters demanded that Karnataka resist the latest water-release direction and called for a long-term solution to the interstate dispute.

Karnataka bandh: How were Bengaluru and other key areas affected?

The state capital saw little disruption in the morning. BMTC and KSRTC services continued from Kempegowda bus station, with police deployed to prevent attempts to stop buses or damage public property.

Schools, colleges and universities also functioned normally. Some schools held scheduled internal examinations.

There was no significant disruption at Kempegowda International Airport. Airport taxis, app-based cabs and KSTDC services continued to operate, while security personnel maintained additional vigilance.

Mysuru reported protests but largely normal public activity. Bus services to Bengaluru, Mangaluru and other destinations continued, while shops, hotels, autos and taxis remained operational. Police detained activists who tried to stop buses.

Hassan and Ballari similarly reported limited disruption, with transport and commercial establishments functioning normally.

In Koppal, Kannada Rakshana Vedike activists stopped trucks near the Heggnal toll gate and appealed to drivers to support the agitation. Police subsequently detained the protesters.

Cauvery: Origin story of an old water war

At the centre of the agitation is a long-running issue: how should Cauvery water be divided between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, particularly in a year when Karnataka says water availability remains under pressure?

Karnataka's position is that its reservoirs and farmers face their own requirements and that water must be conserved for drinking and agriculture. Tamil Nadu, on the other hand, has maintained that it should receive its legally determined share.

The dispute has roots stretching back to agreements between the erstwhile Madras Presidency and the princely state of Mysore in 1892 and 1924. It has since passed through tribunals, political negotiations and prolonged litigation.

The Cauvery dispute intensified after the Madras Presidency opposed Mysore’s plans to develop irrigation projects along the river. This led to an agreement in 1892, under which both sides were expected to take into account each other’s water-related interests.

The disagreement resurfaced in 1910 when Madras objected to Mysore’s proposal to construct a dam across the Cauvery. The issue was referred for arbitration, eventually resulting in the 1924 agreement between the two states. The pact was set to remain in force for 50 years. Following Independence and the reorganisation of states along linguistic lines, Kerala and Puducherry also sought a share of Cauvery waters because parts of their territories lie within the river basin.

TN-K'taka river-sharing impasse: Recent flare-ups

Ahead of the 2007 tribunal order, Tamil Nadu had sought an allocation of 562 tmcft, representing about three-fourths of the Cauvery basin's available water. Karnataka, meanwhile, had sought 465 tmcft, or roughly two-thirds of the basin's water.

In August 2016, Tamil Nadu approached the Supreme Court, claiming that Karnataka had fallen short of the minimum water-release requirement under the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award by 50.0052 tmcft. Tamil Nadu said additional water was necessary for farmers to begin cultivating the samba paddy crop.

Karnataka opposed further releases, arguing that poor monsoon rainfall had severely depleted its reservoirs and left the state facing its own water shortage.

On February 16, 2018, the Supreme Court delivered its final judgment in the dispute. It lowered Tamil Nadu's allocation by 14 tmcft and fixed Karnataka's annual release to Tamil Nadu at 177 tmcft for the following 15 years. The court also directed the Centre to establish a Cauvery Management Board days to oversee implementation of the tribunal's award and the Supreme Court's ruling.

Before the latest face-off, the last time matters had come to a head was in August 2023, when TN sought 24,000 cusecs of water per day and Karnataka refused. In that instance too, both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu saw huge protests and disruptions.