This laxity only goes to show how the State failed to fully utilise its share of the Krishna waters as per an earlier award by the tribunal. Though officials had made elaborate arrangements for the meeting during the past couple of days at the Jawahar Navodaya school premises, the chairs remained empty.

Even the elected representatives from Bijapur and Bagalkot districts were conspicuous by their absence. This only went to show how much of a concern the leaders had for the irrigation needs of the region, farmers at the meeting were heard saying.