MYSURU: The week-end traffic on the busy Mysuru-Bengaluru Road was disrupted as farmers blocked the highway for more than two hours, demanding release of water from KRS to irrigation canals.
The farmers blocked roads at Gejjalaragere, K M Doddi and also near Srirangapatna, saying that delay in giving water would destroy paddy crops.
As the vehicles were lined up for more than 3 km, the police diverted some traffic through alternate routes. While a few people stranded on the highway spent their time in vehicles, others visited the nearby dried up fields and clicked pictures of the protesting farmers. Farmer leader Lingappa demanded that the government pay `50,000 compensation per acre and waive loans. The farmers urged the government to release water to irrigation canals by evening and sought an assurance from the Deputy Commissioner. Later, they called off the stir following assurance from assistant commissioner Arul Kumar.