The farmers’ protest against release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu continued at the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) site for the second day on Thursday.
The protest, launched by Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), has evoked strong response from the agricultural community who assembled at Mandya, Srirangapatna, and other centres in Mandya district to express their ire against the release of water.
The Cauvery Water Management Authority on Tuesday directed Karnataka to release water at the rate of 5,000 cusecs per day to Tamil Nadu for 15 days, and the State complying with it began releasing water, triggering the protest.
The KRRS said its agitation was on a 24/7 basis and farmers were camping at the dam site at night and taking turns to stage dharna.
Extending support to the agitating farmers, Melkote MLA Darshan Puttannaiah was with them on the second day of the protest as well.
‘Govt. has failed us’
Farmers raised slogans against the government and criticised it for “failing to uphold their interests”. More than 400 farmers had converged at the camp site by noon and discussed the ways and means of intensifying the agitation.
Mandya Deputy Commissioner Kumar visited the agitating farmers and received their memorandum, and promised to convey their views to the government.
KRRS leader Jayarame Gowda of Doddapalya in Srirangapatna taluk said the agitation was gaining traction as the crisis was escalating and the threat of drinking water scarcity in the region was real.
He said farmers were working on ways to broaden and intensify the agitation and a decision would be taken in a day or two. Mr. Jayarame Gowda also expressed his ire that the agitation and strike were restricted to pockets of rural areas while people in urban centres such as Bengaluru, and whose dependence on Cauvery to meet the drinking water needs and other secondary purposes, was very high had been unresponsive.
Meanwhile, the outflow from Krishnaraja Sagar was at the rate of 7,279 cusecs as of Thursday morning and the outflow from the Kabini was at the rate of 2,000 cusecs.
