The agitation against releasing water to Tamil Nadu from State reservoirs has gained momentum with actor M.H. Ambareesh extending his support to the protest here on Monday.
The former Mandya MP, who has strong hold on the political arena in Mandya, participated in the protest organised by the Mandya Zilla Raitha Hitarakshana Samiti (MZRHS) near Sir M. Visvesvaraya statue on the Bangalore-Mysore Highway. Addressing mediapersons, Mr. Ambareesh urged the State government not to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
Plea to government
When farmers in Karnataka are suffering due to severe drought, releasing water to Tamil Nadu is unjustifiable. The State government should place the plight of farmers in Karnataka in the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) meeting, which will be chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on September 19, Mr. Ambareesh said.
“The present water-level in the reservoirs is not even sufficient to maintain the standing crops in the Cauvery basin in the State. Hence, we are not in a position to release water as being demanded by Tamil Nadu,” he said.
The former MP and samiti president G. Madegowda urged the State government to present a strong case for not releasing water.