Farmers and members of the Cauvery Rights Retrieval Committee took to the streets in Delta districts on Monday, demanding that the Central government constitute the Cauvery Water Management Board (CWMB) without any delay.
Condemning the Centre for its “refusal” to set up the Board, the protesters, who tried to picket Central government offices in Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam, urged the State government to convene an all-party meeting to exert pressure on the Centre.
Traders in several places including in Thanjavur district backed the farmers’ demand and downed shutters.
Police sources said over 450 farmers were arrested in Thanjavur, while over 150 ryots held in Tiruvarur.
Over 300 farmers owing allegiance to the ‘Cauvery Urimai Meetpu Kuzhu’ courted arrest in Nagapattinam by blockading the Central Post Office there. In Tiruchi city, M. P. Chinnadurai, district chief of ‘Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam’ led a march to picket the Central Excise office.
In Erode, farmers staged a demonstration in support of the Cauvery delta farmers demand.
(with additional reporting by R. Krishnamoorthy from Erode)
