Give us water or poison: Mandya farmers protest releasing of Cauvery waters to TN

The farmers of Mandya district intensified protests as soon as the Supreme Court issued a verdict upholding the Cauvery Water Management Authority's (CWMA) directions of releasing 5,000 cusec to Tamil Nadu, up to September 28.

In a major setback to the Karnataka government, the Supreme Court directed the state to release 5,000 cusec every day for 15 days, saying it will not interfere in the CWMA directions. Now, the Karnataka government must follow directions. 

The farmers of the district expressed shock over the apex court's verdict. Emotions ran high among them, with many shedding tears after hearing the SC's directions.

The Cauvery Hitarakshana Samiti, that has been staging indefinite stir near Sir M Visvesvaraya's statue, in Mandya, took out a motorbike rally, condemning the verdict. Besides, the agitators also blocked the Mysuru-Bengaluru national highway.

Farmer leader Sunanda Jayaram said, the Supreme Court's verdict has come as a huge disappointment to the farmers of the district. The SC should have inspected the reality before announcing the verdict. It has meted out injustice to Karnataka. The farmers of the district are rejecting the verdict. Noting that the protests will be intensified, she said Cauvery water is our right.

Raising slogans against the verdict, and the failure of the state government to explain the reality and drought situtaion to the court, the farmers claimed that it is not possible to release water to Tamil Nadu.

"There is no water for drinking purposes. How is it possible to release water to Tamil Nadu"?. It is being done intentionally, they alleged and said the farmers of Mandya are in a critical situation. If the government follows the directions, there will be no water for drinking purposes in Mandya, Mysuru and Bengaluru, they said.

"Let the government give us water or give us poison. The MPs of Karnataka should resign and stand with the state", they demanded.

Reacting to this, farmer leader Kurubur Shanthakumar said the SC directions has come as a shock. The government should stand by it words of not releasing water to Tamil Nadu and take a right decision. 

Similar protests were also staged in other parts of Mandya district and also in Mysuru.