Why are Indian states fighting over the Cauvery river?
Here is a quick look at the dispute that has long reared its head in rainfall deficit years, straining ties between the southern states for 150 years:
THE ROW
The Cauvery river originates in Talakaveri in Karnataka's Coorg district and runs for nearly 800 kilometres, flowing through Tamil Nadu into the Bay of Bengal.
A number of dams in Karnataka — including the Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) dam constructed during the British colonial rule of India — restrict the flow of water towards Tamil Nadu.
The legal battle on allocation of water and the establishment of reservoirs along the river has raged for years, with the Karnataka government saying it has paid over 1.2 billion Indian rupees ($14.45 million) in litigation fees over the dispute since 1990.
Tributaries of the river flow through Kerala state and the federally governed region of Puducherry, both of which have previously been party to the dispute.
The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal was established in 1990 to address the conflict.
DRY SPELL
Karnataka has rejected the court order to release 5,000 cusecs (142,000 litres) of river water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days this month, stating that the state cannot afford to do so as it battles drought conditions.
Tamil Nadu meanwhile says the river is a shared resource. Farmers on both sides say inadequate water supply will affect harvests.
