The Cauvery water dispute has intensified after Desiya Thenindhiya Nathigal Inaippu Vivasayigal Sangam president P. Ayyakannu urged the Tamil Nadu government to approach the Supreme Court for ₹1 lakh crore in damages from the Karnataka and Central governments over the alleged non-release of water to the state.
Speaking in Tiruchy on Sunday, Ayyakannu said the Karnataka government had not released Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu despite a direction from the Supreme Court. He said the situation had left farmers in the delta region unable to undertake Kuruvai and Samba cultivation, two important crop cycles in the Cauvery delta.
The demand includes distributing ₹50,000 per acre to farmers in the delta districts as compensation. The proposed payment, according to the Sangam, would be part of the compensation sought from the Karnataka and Central governments for the impact of the water shortage on cultivation.
Ayyakannu also called for restrictions on the proposed construction of a dam at Mekedatu in Karnataka. The project has remained a contentious issue in the Cauvery dispute because Tamil Nadu has opposed Karnataka’s plans, citing concerns over the downstream availability of water. The report did not provide details of any new decision or construction timeline related to the project.
The farmers’ organisation further demanded the construction of a check dam every 10 kilometres along the Cauvery-Kollidam river system. It also called on the Union government to provide assistance for linking the Godavari and Cauvery rivers, a proposal that has periodically featured in demands for improving water availability across southern India.
The latest demand places the immediate effect of interstate water management on the delta’s cultivation calendar. Kuruvai and Samba cultivation depend on the timely availability of irrigation water, and any disruption can affect sowing decisions and farm income across the region. The report did not specify the number of affected farmers, the acreage currently at risk, or the volume of water sought by Tamil Nadu.
The dispute involves multiple levels of government. Tamil Nadu would have to decide whether to pursue the proposed compensation case, while the Karnataka government controls releases from its side of the Cauvery system. The Union government has also been asked to intervene on the river-linking proposal. No response from the Karnataka or Central governments was included in the report.
The Sangam’s demands now add compensation, additional water-storage structures and inter-basin river linking to the continuing dispute over Cauvery releases. The proposed Supreme Court action and the response of the governments concerned will determine the next formal steps.