Farmers demand power, oppose release of water

Farmers under the aegis of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and Hasiru Sene, and Kabini Raitha Hitharakshana Samithi, staged separate protests in Mysore, on Monday.

KRRS staged a protest in front of Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (Cesc) office in the city, complaining about ad hoc power supply, affecting agricultural activities in the region.

Even though the State government has issued instructions to power companies to supply three-phase electricity for six hours for the pumpsets of farmers, farmers are being supplied power for only three hours a day.

Cesc should follow government guidelines and supply power for six hours, they demanded.

Stress on capacity

They also complained about the unwarranted delay employed by Cesc officials in repairing transformers, which had also adversely affected agriculture in several parts of the region.

They alleged that installed transformers were not sufficient to bear the load of all the pumpset connections.

Therefore, transformers with capacity to bear such loads must be installed, they demanded.

They later staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office, citing similar demands.

Kabini water

Farmers under the aegis of Kabini Raitha Hitharakshana Samithi, laid siege into the Command Area Development Authority (CADA) office, condemning the release of over 8,000 cusecs of water from Kabini reservoir.

They alleged that officials of CADA were ignorant about the fate of farmers dependent on Kabini reservoir for irrigational activities.

There was a minor tussle between police personnel and the farmers, as the latter attempted to protest in front of CADA chief engineer’s office.

Police, earlier tried to prevent the farmers from protesting on the first floor of the building.

However, following the tussle, they were allowed to protest in front of Chief Engineers’ office.