THANJAVUR: Farmer associations part of the Joint Movement for Cauvery Basin Protection have called for a bandh in delta districts on October 11 to demand Karnataka to release River Cauvery water in order to save standing kuruvai paddy and to commence samba cultivation. A decision to this effect was taken at the consultative meeting of the movement held in Thanjavur on Saturday.
Elaborating on the decision, former MP and DMK farmers’ wing secretary AKS Vijayan said kuruvai paddy cultivated in around two lakh acres across the delta districts has wilted owing to the Karnataka government failing to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as per the tribunal award and the Supreme Court judgment. The bandh, also condemning the BJP and outfits organising protests in Karnataka against the release of the river water to TN, will hence be observed, he added. The members of the movement will also picket Union government offices in the delta region, he also said.