Farmers end stir, Visvesvaraya canal to get water today

Water to be used for drinking purpose not agriculture

The month-long protest being staged by farmers, Kannada organisations and JD(S) workers, came to an end on Wednesday after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that water would be released to the canals from August 10.

At a meeting held in Bengaluru and presided over by the chief minister on Wednesday, the state government succumbed to pressure exerted by farmers and elected representatives of Mandya district. However, water is being released only for drinking purpose and for livestock. So, farmers are advised not to take up agricultural activities.

As soon as news spread that the meeting was fruitful and water would be released as per their demand, farmers protesting near Visvesvaraya’s statue, turned jubilant. Raitha Sangha district president Shambunahalli Suresh said that the chief minister has yielded to the demands of the farmers who have been staging protests for a month. “About 2,800 cusecs of water should be released for a month to the canals and sub-canals. The Irrigation department officials should take suitable measures so that water let into canals does not go waste. Priority should be given to fill lakes and ponds as it is not possible to take up cultivation,” he said.

V C Umashankar of Kasturi Karnataka Janapara Vedike said that water being released to Tamil Nadu should be stopped immediately. The water bodies will get filled only if water is released continuously for a month, he said.
Timetable

Cauvery Neeravari Nigam officials said that water will start flowing to the Visvesvaraya canal from Thursday morning. Water from KRS dam will reach Maddur, Koppa, Keragodu, Kowdle, Malavalli and other places through tunnels. Water will be released as per the timetable from next week after the government orders are received, they said.

However, the farmers claimed that most of the canals have not been desilted. The officials concerned have not taken up desilting for several years now but they have embezzled funds amounting to crores of rupees in the name of desilting, they alleged.