JOIN USStop water release from Harangi dam, say farmers
Hundreds of farmers from Periyapatna taluk in Mysuru district, Cauvery region, on Saturday laid siege to the office of superintending engineer of Water Resources Department in the town and urged him to stop releasing water from Harangi reservoir.
The farmers also condemnded the recent order of Supreme Court asking the state government to 15,000 cusecs of water from KRS reservoir in Mandya district to the neighbouring Tamil Nadu every day.
The protesters, led by Primary Land Development Bank Chairman Chandrashekar and farmer leader from Bettadapura Shivanegowda, came on a Padayatra to the superintending engineer’s office. The Padayatra started from Kanagal village in Bettadapura hobli, and passed through Honnapura, Hanumanthapura, Shya-
nubhoganahalli, Chamarayanakote, Doddakamaravalli, Dindigadu, Muthinamullusoge before stopping at the statue of Goddess Cauvery at Koppa village.
The aggrieved farmers, who staged a demonstration near the statue, demanded that the five legislators coming under Cauvery catchment area should arrive at the spot and hear to their demands. Later, they resumed their Padayatra and it culminated at the superintending engineer’s office at HRP Layout in Kushalnagar.
Apart from registering their protest against the release of water from KRS reservoir, the farmes demanded the authorities to stop further release of water. When the reservoirs in the state have not received sufficient water due to scanty rainfall leaving farmers in the State in a fix, there is no one to hear the plight of the agrarian community, the poured out woes.
Strangely, the judiciary which is supposed to protect the interests of the farmers has turned against them and the future appears bleak, they contended.
They also vented their ire against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha for repeatedly playing with the sentiments of farmers by raking up Cauvery river water sharing issue time and again.
The farmers also raised slogans against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the state’s counsel Fali S Nariman.
Rajya Raitha Sangha leader Devarajagowdru said, “Though the state has witnessed less than 30% of annual rainfall, it has become inevitable for to release water to Tamil Nadu to honour the order of the apex court”.
He said pressure should be exerted on Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the Union ministers and MPs of the state to solve the issue.
The farmers also submitted a memorandum to Superintending Engineer Chandrakumar in this regard.
Executive Engineer Ranganath and Assistant Executive Engineer Dharmaraj were present.