Cauvery stir: Travellers cross border on foot

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As the Cauvery river water row evoked protests and agitations in neighbouring Karnataka, the serene inter-state borders at Kakkanallah in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) in the Nilgiris and adjoining Bandhipur tiger reserve (BTR) of Karnataka, that borders MTR, have become areas of “passenger exchange” service as travellers are forced to cross the borders on foot to catch vehicles to their destination in the two states.

With bus services from the Nilgiris and Karnataka suspended and other private passenger carrier vehicles warned against crossing the border by officials at the check-post, the borders have also become parking lots for vehicles, vitiating the jungle atmosphere in the tiger reserves.

Also because of this, people travel up to the respective state borders in vehicles like jeeps, vans and maxicabs, get down at the border and walk a little adistance with their luggage to cross the border and board vehicles available on the other side to travel to their destinations.

The police said though the situation was normal in the Nilgiris, it was volatile in the Gudulpet, Chamarajnagar areas in Karnataka, located next to BTR.

Vegetable vendors have to unload all vegetables at the borders and carry them across the border to be loaded again. There was also drop in tourist vehicle flow to the hills from Karnataka since Monday morning.

CPI getting K’taka farmers to ‘talk’

“As a national party, the Communist Party of India (CPI) has initiated steps to make the Karnataka farmers understand their responsibility on the Cauvery water-sharing issue,” said Mr C. Mahendran, the party’s state deputy secretary.

Stating that it was a clear violation of the SC order that Karnataka would release Cauvery water only till October 15, Mr Mahendran blamed the Central government with adopting delaying tactics for political reasons.

“The CPI, however, as a national party has taken steps to solve the issue amicably,” said Mr Mahendran.

In coordination with his party unit in Karnataka, the CPI has made the representatives of the farmers associations in the Cauvery delta talk to their counterparts in Mandya and Mysore districts.

This would make the Karnataka farmers understand their responsibility towards their counterparts in the Delta region, hoped the CPI leader.

“The Karnataka government and media are reluctant to recognise this constructive effort of the CPI,” he regretted.

Stating that the party was against FDI in retail, Mr Mahendran also said the time has come for governments to concentrate on non-conventional energy sources for power. He added that KKNPP should not be commissioned without allaying the fears of the locals.