Police detain farmers protesting release of water to Tamil Nadu

Security heightened at KRS dam, KSRP deployed

Mandya police on Saturday took nearly 30 farmers, who were protesting against the release of water to Tamil Nadu on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway in Mandya, into custody and released them later.

The farmers launched a protest near Sir M Visvesvaraya’s statue on the highway. As the road was blocked, traffic was disrupted for a while, forcing the police to take the farmers into custody.

The farmers raised slogans to stop the release of water to Tamil Nadu. They alleged that the government has ordered release of water without conducting a meeting of the Cauvery Consultative Committee.

Following the police action against farmers in Mandya, farmers in Srirangapatna staged a flash protest in
front of the office of the Deputy Superintendent of Police in Srirangapatna.

Security upped

The district police have beefed up security near KRS dam and other sensitive places in Srirangapatna. Superintendent of Police G Radhika said, “We have deputed professional divers near the river where the farmers are protesting. Tight security is in place in sensitive areas. As many as eight Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) battalions have been deputed in Srirangapatna.”

Series of protests

A large number of people, including farmers, advocates and Kannada activists took to the streets demanding the government to stop releasing water to TN.

Advocates, led by Bar Association president Gangaraju, blocked the Mysuru-Bengaluru highway in Srirangapatna. They raised slogans against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Water Resources Minister M B Patil and officials of Cauvery Neeravari Nigam. They submitted a memorandum to the state government through the Tahsildar.

In Mysuru, activists of Mysuru Zilla Kannada Chaluvaligarara Sangha, staged a protest demanding that the government stop the release of water from KRS and Kabini dams to TN immediately. Sangha president B A Shivashankar condemned the state government for releasing water.