Farmers and Kannada organisations staged protests near the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) reservoir in Karnataka’s Mandya district on Friday, opposing the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s (CWMA) directive to release water to Tamil Nadu.
The CWMA upheld the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s recommendation to release 3,500 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days, despite Karnataka’s objections over poor monsoon rainfall and the drought situation in the state.
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has called an all-party meeting on August 2 to discuss the issue.
Members of the Kannada Rakshana Vedike and other groups gathered near the reservoir as part of the protests. Some women protesters symbolically ate grass to express their opposition to the CWMA and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) orders, while others rolled on the road as a mark of protest.
Several protesters carried posters of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay with a cross marked over his image. Police detained some demonstrators as part of preventive measures while dispersing the protest.
“The Authority has signed a death warrant for our farmers. Under no circumstances should this be accepted,” a protester said, alleging that Karnataka was being repeatedly subjected to injustice.
The protesters appealed to Shivakumar to take a firm stand against the water release order, saying the Kannada community and political parties would support him beyond caste and religious differences. They also urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay to understand the ground realities before seeking water from Karnataka.
Calling for stronger legal action, a protester said the matter should be taken up effectively before the Supreme Court.
Mandya Superintendent of Police Shobha Rani V J said extensive security arrangements had been made across the district in view of the protests.
“Two SPs, an Additional SP, nine DYSPs, 28 Circle Inspectors/Inspectors, 46 PSIs and 59 ASIs have been deployed along with personnel and striking forces. Ten companies of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) and eight units of the District Armed Reserve (DAR) have also been deployed. Around 1,500 personnel are on duty,” she said.
The SP added that personnel from other districts had been brought in, barricades had been placed at sensitive locations and public access to Brindavan Gardens had been restricted for the day.
Shivakumar and Vijay are expected to hold discussions on August 3, though it remains unclear whether the meeting will take place in person in Karnataka or virtually.
Shivakumar has invited Vijay to visit the Cauvery region to assess the situation on the ground. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu farmers opposed to such a visit have said that if Vijay travels to Karnataka, he should bring Shivakumar to the affected paddy-growing areas of the Cauvery Delta in Tamil Nadu.
(With inputs from PTI)
