THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU vs THE STATE OF KARNATAKA

The Supreme Court, in a suit filed under Article 131 of the Constitution, addressed the rights of riparian States over the waters of the Pennaiyar River, emphasizing the 1892 Agreement between the then State of Madras and Mysore. The Court held that the Union of India has a duty to prevent any riparian State from undertaking works that could adversely affect the water rights of another State. The Court found that the construction activities by Karnataka would significantly impact the livelihoods of farmers in Tamil Nadu, thus necessitating intervention to protect the rights established under the agreement.