Farmers stage protest against release of water to Tamil Nadu

Seek compensation if water is not released for irrigating crops

A large number of farmers took out a semi-nude protest rally in the city on Tuesday and laid a siege to the office of the Command Area Development Authority (CADA) demanding to stop the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

Members of Rajya Raitha Sangatanegala Okkoota and Rajya Kabbu Belegarara Sangha launched the rally in front of Kote Anjaneyaswamy temple near the Palace North Gate. The march passed through the city bus stand towards the CADA office, via Sayyaji Rao Road.

On the way, they staged a dharna in front of the city bus stand on Albert Victor Road, holding up vehicular traffic for sometime. The agitators took the city bus stand route as protest rallies are prohibited at KR Circle in the wake of an earlier order. While the movement of the city buses inside the bus stand was affected for sometime, vehicular traffic on Sayyaji Rao Road was also affected till the rally reached the CADA office.

As the rally reached B Rachaiah Circle near the CADA office, the agitators sat on a dharna on the road, blocking traffic. They removed the barricades put up at the entrance of the CADA office and laid a siege to the building.

Sangha president Kuruburu Shanthakumar said that the Congress government in the state had adopted anti-farmer stand by releasing more than 40 tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu from KRS dam and Kabini reservoir over a period of one month.

“The Agriculture department has provided paddy seeds at subsidised rates to farmers. The farmers have made arrangements for transplantation. Some farmers have already completed transplantation. Now, the government is announcing that water will not be released in canals for farming, claiming that the water is sufficient only for drinking purpose. Is there no value for the farmers’ money and efforts? The government should pay a compensation of at least Rs 25,000 per acre if water is not released in the canals,” he urged.

The agitators cooked food on the premises of the CADA office and had their lunch. Athahalli Devaraju, Hallikerehundi Bhagyaraj, Kiragasuru Shankar, Hadya Ravi, Magudilu Ravikumar, Varakodu Krishnegowda, B P Parashivamurthy and K G Vishwanath Konanuru were present.