MYSURU: Protests against the Cauvery Water Regulation Authority (CWRA) directive intensified across the Old Mysuru region on Thursday, with Kannada organisations staging demonstrations in Mandya and Mysuru over the order directing Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.
In Mandya, activists belonging to various Kannada organisations, staged a series of protests demanding that the Karnataka government refuse to release water to Tamil Nadu, citing the former’s precarious drinking water situation.
The agitation took a dramatic turn when protesters gathered outside Guru Shree Theatre, where actor and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s film ‘Jana Nayagan’ was being screened. They demanded that the screening be stopped as a mark of protest against the CWRC order. Following discussions with the theatre management, the screening was cancelled. Protesters then tore down posters of the film outside the theatre and raised slogans condemning CWRC directive.
The protesters later submitted a memorandum to the Karnataka government through the Mandya Deputy Commissioner, urging the state not to release even a single drop of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
They argued that Karnataka must prioritise drinking water needs and warned that the agitation would intensify if the government complied with the CWRC order.
The protest also witnessed tense moments when demonstrators attempted to burn a tyre as part of the agitation. Police intervened immediately, leading to a scuffle as officers tried to snatch the tyre from the protesters. Despite repeated appeals by police to refrain from setting it ablaze, some activists refused to back down.
One protester allegedly threatened to set himself on fire if the police prevented the tyre from being burnt. After a brief confrontation, police managed to seize the tyre and prevented the attempted burning, while permitting the protesters to continue with a road blockade.
Meanwhile, a group of agitators entered the Cauvery river and stood in the water, raising slogans against the CWRA decision and demanding that Karnataka safeguard its water resources.
Similar demonstrations were held in Mysuru, where Kannada activists staged protests carrying empty water pots to highlight fears of an impending drinking water shortage if water is released to Tamil Nadu.
