MANDYA: Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra and several party workers were detained on Friday while protesting near the Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) dam against the Congress government‘s handling of the Cauvery water dispute, after the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directed the state to release 3,500 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu.The BJP staged the protest alleging that the Siddaramaiah government had failed to safeguard the interests of Karnataka’s farmers despite drought concerns.“Despite the central government having issued a drought warning, the state government has not taken the necessary precautionary measures. Instead, the administration’s focus has been on power struggles and armchair politics. As a result, farmers’ lives have been played with,” Vijayendra sai duing today’s protest.He also criticised chief minister DK Shivakumar, saying the decision to release water to Tamil Nadu was unfair to Karnataka’s farmers.“CM DK Shivakumar has previously served as the Irrigation Minister and Deputy Chief Minister. Despite being fully aware of the Cauvery issue, agreeing to release water to Tamil Nadu is unfair to the farmers,” he said.Vijayendra further alleged that Shivakumar had failed to consult legal experts while handling the Cauvery dispute.“Despite going to Delhi many times and holding meetings with the party leadership, he did not even once consult with legal experts for the interests of the farmer,” he said.Former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa, who also participated in the protest, targeted the Congress government over the issue.“Chief Minister, listen, we are sitting here near the dam. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister is coming to Karnataka. Bring him here too, show him the level of water. The Supreme Court should have been made aware of the situation here. The Chief Minister here is doing politics,” Yediyurappa said.The protest comes amid a fresh row over the release of Cauvery water after the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), at its meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, upheld the CWRC’s recommendation directing Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu, amounting to 4 TMC over 15 days.Meanwhile, chief minister DK Shivakumar chaired a high-level meeting on Friday to review the state’s Cauvery water situation following the CWMA’s directions.The meeting was attended by deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, Director General of Police Saleem Ahmed, and senior bureaucrats and police officials.The Cauvery dispute has also resurfaced amid developments surrounding Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir-cum-Drinking Water Project.The Centre has returned the project’s Detailed Project Report (DPR), seeking a revised version in line with the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award and existing Central Water Commission guidelines.It has also taken note of representations from the Tamil Nadu government and farmers’ organisations expressing concerns over the project’s potential impact on the Cauvery Delta region and drinking water availability in other districts.(With ANI inputs)
