Mysuru: Hundreds of farmers staged protests at various locations in Mysuru on Monday, opposing the release of water from the Kabini reservoir to Tamil Nadu. The protests were organised under the banners of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene and the State Sugarcane Growers’ Association.Protesters blocked roads at all four junctions near the Cauvery Command Area Development Authority (CADA) office, close to Mysuru Palace. Police intervened to clear the blockades, prompting the farmers to march from Gun House to the CADA office. Several protesters engaged in heated arguments with the police when they were stopped.The protesters condemned the state govt for not releasing water from the Cauvery basin dams for irrigation and instead releasing water to TN. They alleged the govt was not protecting the interests of Karnataka farmers.The water level in Kabini dam, which reached its maximum capacity on Aug 1, has slid back due to scanty rainfall over the last several days. As against a maximum of 2,284 ft 25 days ago, the level has now reduced to 2,272 feet, with water released to TN, the protesters complained.Addressing the protesters, KRRS state unit chief Badagalapura Nagendra said the Kabini dam has turned into a storage tank to provide water to TN, and to meet the drinking water requirements of Bengaluru city – completely disregarding the welfare of farmers.Nagendra further said the Kabini dam was constructed with the displacement of adivasis of 42 villages. Even though water inflow to Nugu and Taraka dams in H D Kote taluk is good, water has not been released for irrigation activities, he claimed.He cautioned that farmers would take the law into their hands if the govt sticks to its stand of releasing water to TN without addressing irrigation requirements in Karnataka.Activists of Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers‘ Association, led by its state unit chief Kurubur Shanthakumar, who held a protest outside the office of the deputy commissioner at Siddartha Nagar, urged the state govt to stop releasing water to TN from Kabini.
