After the water disputes related to the water sharing of Kaveri River, water is addressed in the Constitution of India. The government has set up tribunals for water disputes. The Kaveri Water Disputes Tribunal was set up in June 1990 and has not concluded negotiation. Kaveri water sharing has been a major issue of contention between the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the union territory of Pondicherry. A central government charity has been formed to look into this matter.

According to a study carried out by the central government in 1972, the usage of water from Kaveri in Tamil Nadu was 489 tmc and Karnataka`s consumption was 277 tmc. With the increase in the population, Karnataka wishes to increase its utilization to 465 tmc.

The Kaveri Tribunal, in its interim award of June 1991, ordered that Karnataka should release 205 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu during one "water year" from June to May. It also registered a monthly quota for flow. The Tribunal which had been looking into the issue for around 16 years finally was relieved with the verdict on 5th of February 2007 of 270 TMC for Karnataka, 419 TMC for Tamil Nadu, 50 TMC for Kerala and 7 TMC for Pondichery, a judgment which both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are supposed to challenge.

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