Karnataka farmers protest CWRC order on Cauvery water release to Tamil Nadu

Mysuru: The Federation of Farmers' Organisations and the State Sugarcane Growers' Association held a demonstration here on Tuesday, opposing the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's (CWRC) directive to release 12,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu over the next 15 days.

Federation president Kurubur Shanthakumar said that water is already flowing to Tamil Nadu naturally due to rainfall in the catchment areas, and not because of the CWRC's order. "If rains come, we will release water," he said, questioning the need for a separate directive when the flow is already occurring.

Mr. Shanthakumar urged the authorities to focus on the construction of the Mekedatu reservoir instead of issuing release orders. He said a balancing reservoir at Mekedatu could store about 65 tmcft of water, which would benefit both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu during periods of shortage.

Addressing the proposed Karnataka bandh on August 13, the federation president said the farmers' body would take a final decision on participating in the agitation after discussions on Wednesday. He noted that a bandh would cause inconvenience to the public and that the matter would be considered carefully.

The Cauvery water sharing issue has been a long-standing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The CWRC, which supervises the release of water as per the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's award, has issued the current directive to ensure compliance with the monthly schedule. However, farmers in Karnataka have expressed concern over the release, citing the need to prioritise drinking water and irrigation within the state.

Tuesday's demonstration reflects the ongoing tension over water allocation, with farming communities seeking a long-term solution through infrastructure projects like Mekedatu.