The Cauvery (or Kaveri) is a major, easterly flowing river in Southern India, originating at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri range of the Western Ghats in Karnataka and flowing for about 800 km through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu before draining into the Bay of Bengal. The core concept is the long-standing Cauvery Water Dispute over the sharing of its waters among the riparian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry. The dispute's origins trace back to agreements signed in 1892 and 1924 between the princely state of Mysore and the Madras Presidency.
To resolve the conflict, the Central Government constituted the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) in 1990 under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956. The CWDT delivered its final award in February 2007. This award was subsequently modified by the Supreme Court's final verdict on February 16, 2018, which increased Karnataka's share by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu's share to 177.25 tmcft.
The mechanism for implementing this modified award is the Cauvery Water Management Scheme, 2018, which the Central Government notified on June 1, 2018, under Section 6A of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956. This scheme established the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC). The CWMA is a quasi-judicial body responsible for securing compliance with the Supreme Court's order, including the supervision of water storage and regulation of releases. The CWRC assists the CWMA by monitoring daily water levels and inflows at major reservoirs. The CWMA operates under the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti.