MANDYA: Karnataka Okkuta state president Vatal Nagaraj and several party leaders and workers were detained on Tuesday while staging a siege protest at the Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) Dam over the Cauvery water-sharing issue.After being detained, Nagaraj announced that his organisation would block the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border at Attibele on September 1.He warned that vehicles would not be allowed to cross between the two states.Speaking to ANI, Nagaraj said, “On September 1, we will block the border at Attibele. We will not allow any vehicles to pass. We will close the border route between the two states.”He also urged the Karnataka government not to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, saying his organisation would intensify protests if water was released.“If you release water, we will have to call for another bandh. We will do ten bandhs if needed for Karnataka and Kannadigas,” he said.Nagaraj also appealed to members of the film fraternity to join the protest voluntarily, saying they should participate in the agitation instead of remaining silent on the issue.
Cauvery row intensifies
The latest protest comes amid a continuing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the release of Cauvery water.The Supreme Court had directed Karnataka to comply with the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s directions on releasing water to Tamil Nadu.Tamil Nadu had approached the court saying it was not receiving its allocated share amid a rain-deficient year.The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee had earlier directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs daily for 15 days from July 29, while Tamil Nadu claimed that the actual flow recorded at Biligundlu was much lower.The dispute escalated further after the Cauvery Water Management Authority endorsed a direction for Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days from August 12.Karnataka subsequently decided to challenge the direction in the Supreme Court.Nagaraj had earlier also called for a Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border blockade over the Cauvery issue, with the proposed agitation expected to affect cross-border transport and commuters.
