A six-day-long protest by JD(S), led by S.R. Mahesh, MLA, K.R. Nagar, demanding the release of water for agricultural activities was withdrawn on Saturday following an assurance by the State government to hold a meeting to discuss the issue at the Regional Commissioner’s Office in Mysuru on Monday.
Irrigation Department officials said a meeting to discuss the release of water to irrigation canals will be chaired by the district in-charge Minister H.C. Mahadevappa on Monday, said JD(S) leader and former Mayor of Mysuru R. Lingappa.
Another reason for calling the protest off was Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s assurance of holding an all-party meeting in Bengaluru on August 5 to discuss the Mahadayi and Cauvery water issues. However, the State government has postponed the all-party meeting and the new date has not been announced.
‘No release to T.N.’
The JD(S), which held a six-day-long protest on the Command Area Development Authority (CADA) premises in Mysuru, had not only demanded release of water into irrigation canals in the Cauvery basin, but also stopping of release of water to Tamil Nadu.
Party leaders said the government and officials were not bothered about the difficulties of the people and it was the people’s representatives, who had to face their wrath.
Over the last week, farmers have held protests along the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway and the Mysuru-Nanjagud Highway, blocking the road and demanding the release of water into irrigation canals in different parts of the Cauvery basin in the State to take up agricultural activities.
Reservoir levels
Meanwhile, responding to agitations for release of water from KRS and Kabini reservoirs by farmers in the Cauvery basin in Mysuru and Kabini, the CM, who was in Mysuru on Saturday, said the water level in the reservoirs had not even reached half their storage capacity in view of the inadequate rainfall this year. He clarified that the State government was not holding back the water only to release it to Tamil Nadu. In view of the poor storage levels, the first priority will be for drinking water, followed by water for agricultural purposes and later for filling up the lakes, he reiterated.
On the issue of releasing water to Tamil Nadu, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the State should release a certain quantity of water to the lower riparian state as per the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal Award. He also appealed to JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy, who was demanding the release of water to canals in the Cauvery basin, against playing politics with river water issues.
