Farmers belonging to Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) led by Badagalpura Nagendra launched a protest near the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) on Wednesday to protest the release of Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu.
The State complied with the directives of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to release water at the rate of 5,000 cusecs per day to Tamil Nadu for 15 days and the discharge began on Tuesday night.
Taking exception to the State government’s move the KRRS said that Karnataka and the core areas of the Cauvery basin was reeling under severe drought and the current storage position was barely sufficient to meet the drinking water requirements of the region.
Mr. Nagendra said that as far as Karnataka is concerned the South West Monsoon is almost over and the volume of inflow into the reservoirs will be negligible. But Tamil Nadu will benefit from the onset of North East Monsoon and hence the present decision release water from the reservoir was irrational, he added.
‘’About 150 farmers have assembled near the KRS and it will be a day and night sit in agitation at the spot and more farmers from Mysuru, Hassan, Mandya, Ramanagar and surrounding regions will join us from Thursday’’, he added. Kannada activists from different parts of the region have also promised to join the protest, said Mr. Nagendra. MLA Darshan Puttanaiah has also supported the farmers and was at the venue.
The farmers also plan to hold similar protests near the Kabini reservoir and express their ire against the Government for releasing water. Mr.Nagendra said the State Government should not succumb to any pressure and uphold the interest of the farmers. ‘’We are struggling to save the standing crops in the region and we require more water than what is available in the reservoirs. In the absence of a distress formula, releasing water was irrational’’, he added.
Kurubur Shanthakumar, president of Karnataka State Sugarcane Cultivators Association said the situation was very bad in the downstream of the Kabini reservoir due to severity of the drought and farmers will intensify the protest against water release.
He said the government’s argument in the court should also factor in the population growth and the consequent increase in drinking water requirements of Bengaluru and surrounding regions.
Mr. Shanthakumar said given the current situation it makes sense for Karnataka to take up Mekedatu Project so that it can serve as a balancing reservoir during drought like this year. As much as 67 tmcft of water can be impounded at Mekedatu and will benefit both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, said Mr. Shanthakumar.
