The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) staged a protest in Hogenakkal on Wednesday (July 22, 2026) demanding the release of water into River Cauvery in order to sustain the drinking water and cropping needs of Tamil Nadu.

Each monsoon, excess water is wasted as run-off into the sea, while during seasons of water shortage, Karnataka, which is hoarding water in its reservoirs, refuses to apportion water to meet the State’s needs, the left party-led protesters stated.

Adding to its storage capacity, the neighbouring State’s plans to build a reservoir in Mekedatu is an assault on the Cauvery water-sharing rights of Tamil Nadu, the protesters said.

According to the party, the Cauvery Water Management Authority had ordered apportionment of 9.91 tmcft of water in June and 32 tmcft in July, taking into account the periods of water scarcity. Yet, Karnataka has brazenly refused to abide by the orders of the Supreme Court or the Cauvery Water Management Authority.

The drastic fall in the inflow into the Cauvery in Hogenakkal has come to impede the water availability for Hogenakkal drinking water project that provides waters for Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts. The fall in the inflow is also hurting the livelihoods of fishers, coracle operators and tourism in Hogenakkal, say protesters.

Staging the protests at the starting point of the Cauvery’s entry into Dharmapuri, the protesters called upon the State government to intervene to reclaim the State’s rights over Cauvery and called for a halt to the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project proposal.

Published - July 22, 2026 07:26 pm IST