MYSURU: With farmers’ indefinite stir entering into day seven demanding water for irrigation canals to save the standing crops, District Minister CS Puttaraju called on former MP and Ritha Hitharakshana Samithi chairman G Made Gowda to seek his advise to handle the crisis. The government is in a fix and has come under scanner of the farming community as they are demanding water for crops when the reservoirs in the Cauvery basin are dried up. Putaraju appealed Made Gowda to guide them on handling the situation and sought his suggestions.
However, Made Gowda said the government should write to Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) apprising them on drying up of the standing crops and reservoirs levels and appeal them to discharge water into irrigation canals. Gowda said the government should protect the crops as the farmers have borrowed money to take up farming activities as it is the only source of income for them. He urged Puttaraju to prevail on Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and his colleagues to discuss it in cabinet meeting and write to the CWMA demanding water. Made Gowda said the government must fill up all tanks in the region once the state receives rains and the reservoir levels go up.
Meanwhile, hundreds of farmers and members of various organisations participated in the indefinite stir in front of irrigation offices in Mandya demanding water to irrigation canals. They urged the government to prevail on the CWMA and the Union government release water from KRS as there are instances were water was released till 68 ft.