Karnataka Farmers Protest CWRC Directive to Release Cauvery Water to Tamil Nadu
Farmers in Karnataka's Mysuru and Mandya districts held demonstrations on Wednesday against the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's (CWRC) order to release water from the Cauvery river to Tamil Nadu. The protests, organised by various farmers' associations and Kannada organisations, included road blockades and gatherings at several locations.
In Mandya, protesters blocked the old Bengaluru-Mysuru highway at Sanjay Circle. In Mysuru, members of the State Sugarcane Growers' Association blocked the Mysuru-Ooty national highway, demanding that the state government file a review petition against the CWRC order.
Protesters carried empty pots and wore black bands, symbolising their distress over potential water release. They raised slogans such as 'Kabini and Cauvery belong to us' and 'Don't release water'. The blockades caused temporary disruption to vehicular traffic.
At another protest, farmers led by Hallikerehundi Bhagyaraj, president of the Federation of Karnataka Farmers' Associations, gathered outside the Command Area Development Authority (CADA) office in Mysuru and blocked Sayyaji Rao Road. Activists performed 'Urulu Seve' on the road to oppose water release.
Members of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) staged a dharna near Mahatma Gandhi's bust outside the Mysuru court complex.
Kurubur Shanthakumar, state president of the State Sugarcane Growers' Association, alleged that Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy had not adequately presented the ground realities before the CWRC. He urged the government to file a review petition and warned that if water were released, farmers and organisations in the Cauvery basin would 'teach the government a fitting lesson'.
Mr. Shanthakumar also criticised Minister for Large and Medium Industries M.B. Patil for reportedly saying that Karnataka would have to release water.
He argued that the current storage in major Cauvery basin reservoirs — Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS), Kabini, Harangi, and Hemavati — was sufficient only to meet Karnataka's drinking water needs and protect standing crops. Noting that cities like Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Mandya, along with numerous towns and villages, depend on Cauvery water, he questioned how the state could afford to release water to Tamil Nadu.
He added that weather reports indicated below-normal rainfall in August, making it unacceptable to sacrifice drinking water needs and farmers' interests.
The Cauvery water dispute is a long-standing issue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, with the CWRC and the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal issuing periodic directives on water sharing. The Karnataka government has not yet announced its response to the latest CWRC directive.
