Cauvery protests hit traffic on Bengaluru-Mysuru highway

Farmers squat on road for half-an-hour

Traffic on Bengaluru-Mysuru highway was affected for a brief period on Sunday as farmers blocked it to protest against the release of Cauvery water from Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) to Tamil Nadu.

As the farmers squatted on the road for more than half-an-hour, the traffic on the busy highway came to a halt. The vehicular density was very high as it was a Sunday and, vehicles were seen stranded on both sides.

While residents of surrounding villages blocked the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway at Gejjalagere in Maddur taluk, Raitha Sangha members staged a protest at Induvalu near Mandya.

They criticised the state government for releasing water to the neighbouring state when the farmers of the district are facing a tough time.

The authorities should immediately stop releasing water or else the protests would be intensified by parking bullock carts on the highway, the farmers warned.

Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited executive engineer K Basavaraje Gowda said 2,000 cusecs of water had been released from the KRS on Sunday. On June 29 night, 3,000 cusecs of water was released, he added.