Roads were blocked nearly for an hour demanding to release water for Markonahalli dam, Mangala dam and Kunigal Doddakere at the Hemavathi canal division executive office in NH 48 under the leadership of KPCC member B B Ramaswamy Gowda here on Monday.

The protesters  including the farmers held a dharna and raised slogans against the government and the officials.
Former MP G S Basavaraju addressing the protesters said that the water problem cannot be solved unless the elected representatives, irrigation department engineers, contractors  have concern towards the problems of the farmers and respond to them.

The co-alition government has failed to  pay any heed to farmers’ problems and condemned the policies of the government as it has not yet started the irrigation projects.

Ignorance

Despite these, the canal lining works which had to be taken up during summer has been taken up during ther rainy season clearly indicating the government’s ignorance towards  irrigation projects, he stated.

He also criticised the irrigation Minister of the state and said that the developmental works have come to a hault due to such inefficient  elected representatives.

KPCC member B B Ramaswamy Gowda said that it has been very upsetting to fight  every year for the release of Hemavathi water inspite of the overflowing Hemavathi prior to the expected period of its full flow. He also condemned the inefficiency of the elected representatives, with regard to the release of water to Tamil Nadu inspite of the Kunigal and other parts of the region suffering from drought situations.

He urged to take up the developmental works of canals of Kunigal Doddakere, Muttarayanakere of Huliyurdurga Hobli, Deepambudikere and others according to the original scheme.

Zilla Panchayat members Rudraiah, Huliyurdurga Block Congress president Magadaiah, leaders Mumtaz Ahmad, Guli Gowda also addressed the protesters.

Taluk panchayat president Leelavathi, members Venkataramu, Raju, Samatha Women’s Forum president  Gayathri Raju, Taluk Editor’s Association president Herur Shankar and others took part.

Police security was tightened under DySP K S Mohan. Kaveri Irrigation Corporation officials Rudrappa, Chandrashekhar who arrived to the spot assured the protesters to release water and said that no canals are full due to lack of rains, which is the cause of delay.

After assurance from the officials the protesters took back the dharna and cleared the roads.