Farmers oppose the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu

Farmers union and pro-Kannada groups staged a protest in Mandya on Sunday, vehemently opposing the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. The demonstration, which saw a large turnout of farmers and activists, resulted in a significant disruption of vehicular traffic along the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway, causing inconvenience to commuters for more than two hours. The protesters, carrying banners and shouting slogans, expressed their frustration over what they perceived as the government’s negligence towards addressing the water crisis facing the state.

Allegations of Mismanagement

Amidst the protest, farmer leaders spoke out against what they viewed as mismanagement of water resources. They alleged that despite Karnataka grappling with a severe water scarcity, the government was prioritizing the allocation of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, leaving local communities deprived of essential resources. The protesters argued that such actions only worsened the already dire situation, placing undue burden on farmers and exacerbating tensions between regions dependent on the Cauvery river.

Conflicting Reports and Denials

The protest unfolded amidst conflicting reports regarding the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. While some local media outlets claimed that over 4,579 cusecs of water had been diverted from the KRS Dam, officials from the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited (CNNL) vehemently denied these allegations. Raghuram, a superintendent engineer at CNNL, categorically stated that no such diversion had occurred, refuting the claims made by the protesters and media sources. The conflicting narratives further added to the confusion surrounding the issue, deepening the divide between those advocating for water conservation and those defending the government’s actions.

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Clarification from Officials

In an attempt to provide clarity on the matter, Raghuram offered a detailed explanation of the situation. He clarified that the decision to release water from the KRS Dam was prompted by a drop in water levels at the Shivana Katte Dam in Malavalli, which in turn had disrupted the supply of drinking water to Bengaluru. Initially, 1,500 cusecs of water were discharged from the KRS Dam, with the rate later increased to 4,000 cusecs due to insufficient inflow to the Shivana Katte Dam. Raghuram assured that the release of water was solely aimed at addressing the immediate water shortage in Bengaluru and would cease once the water levels at the Shivana Dam were replenished, alleviating concerns about the impact on downstream regions.