Farmers from the Cauvery basin on Thursday threatened to launch a massive agitation if the Karnataka government agreed to release water to Tamil Nadu under pressure. “The Chief Minister has assured us that the state will not release water to Tamil Nadu. But if it backtracks on its decision, we will be forced to step up our agitation and stage a jail bharo,” warned Mr G. Madegowda, president of the Cauvery Protection Committee.
Meanwhile over 120 Corporators from Bengaluru arrived in two buses in Mandya to extend their support to the agitating farmers. The corporators promised to carry on with the agitation in their respective wards in Bengaluru as a gesture of solidarity with them. Activists of the Swabhimani Vokkaligara Sangha and Vishwakarma Jananga too joined the protest and MLA Cheluvarayaswamy and former MLA, Somshekar visited the farmers in a demonstration of their support for them. Even as the agitation continued, the water level in the Krishna Raja Sagar dam did not give cause for comfort, being sufficient to meet the irrigational and drinking water needs of the people for only 55 days more, according to officials.
KRS , which currently has 23 tmc of water, releases half a tmc every day. But the forecast for the next couple of weeks is hopeful. Above average rainfall is expected till the South West Monsoon bids the state adieu by October 15, said Devraj, technical officer at the Organic Farming and Technical Research Centre, Naganahalli. “Around 10 to 20mm of rain is expected in Mysore, Mandya, Kodagu, Hassan and Chamarajnagar till Monday,” he adds.