Farmers Protests Against The CWRC's Order To Release Cauvery Water To Tamil Nadu

Farmers on Wednesday protested across the streets of Mysuru and Mandya against the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's (CWRC) directives to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

Kannada organisations and farmers' groups staged protests at Sanjay Circle in Mandya, blocking the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway. Meanwhile, activists from several farmers' organisations held demonstrations at various locations in Mysuru.

In order to demand that the State government file a review petition against the order, members of the State Sugarcane Growers' Association organised a road blockade on the Mysuru-Ooty National highway in Mysuru.

The demonstrators blocked the roadway for a while while shouting slogans like "Our struggle is for water," "Don't release water," and "Kabini and Cauvery belong to us." The farmers wore black bands on their arms and carried empty pots as a way of expressing their rage, despite police warnings. As a result, a number of cars became stuck on the roadway.

In a different demonstration, farmers gathered outside the Command Area Development Authority (CADA) office in Mysuru under the leadership of Federation of Karnataka Farmers' Associations chief Hallikerehundi Bhagyaraj, blocking the city's Sayyaji Rao Road for a while.

To protest any plans to release water from the Cauvery basin's reservoirs, activists staged "Urulu Seve" on the road.

A dharna was held by farmers from the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) in front of Mahatma Gandhi's bust outside the Mysuru court complex.

In the meantime, Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy was accused by State President Kurubur Shanthakumar, who spearheaded the demonstrators at the road blockade on Mysuru-Ooty Road, of failing to adequately convey to the CWRC the issues that farmers in the Cauvery command area were facing