Karnataka CM D.K. Shivakumar has invited CM Vijay to survey the Cauvery basin by helicopter ahead of the confirmed August 3 bilateral talks, as regulators direct Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu.
Karnataka CM D.K. Shivakumar has invited CM Vijay to personally visit the Cauvery catchment areas in Karnataka, offering to arrange a helicopter survey so he can assess the prevailing water situation firsthand. The offer comes ahead of the confirmed August 3 bilateral meeting between the two governments — the first direct talks on the Cauvery issue between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in more than a decade.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Shivakumar said Tamil Nadu had formally reached out ahead of the talks. "Tamil Nadu has also expressed a desire to come and speak to me about a few matters. The Chief Secretary has also written to me. They have also spoken to me on the phone. It is our duty to treat them with respect and give them what is due," Shivakumar said, before extending the invitation to visit Karnataka's Cauvery reservoir region in person.
The bilateral meeting is scheduled for 2:00 PM on August 3 in the conference hall on the third floor of Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, and is expected to be attended by both Chief Ministers along with ministers and senior officials from each state. Preparations are already underway at the venue, including cleaning, lighting and air-conditioning checks ahead of the meeting.
The talks come as the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu for 15 days from the KRS and Kabini reservoirs, along with a total of 4 TMC of water — a significant development given this year's shortfall in Cauvery basin rainfall.
Cauvery Dispute D.K. Shivakumar Karnataka CM Vijay July 29, 2026