Terming the Cauvery River Authority’s (CRA) directive to Karnataka to release 9,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu every day as “unscientific and unjustifiable”, councillors of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) have threatened to intensify protests in all 198 wards in Bangalore.
The councillors, led by Bangalore Mayor D. Venkatesh Murthy, participated in the “continuous protests”, which entered the 15th day on Thursday, organised by the Mandya Zilla Raitha Hitarakshana Samiti.
The councillors, congratulating Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar for refusing to implement the CRA’s directive, have requested the State government to file a petition before the Supreme Court seeking a review the CRA’s recommendation.
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Criticising the Tamil Nadu government’s demand for water, the councillors said the farmers in Cauvery basin have been hit by drought for the past two years. “Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s recommendations are unjustified and unscientific,” Mr. Murthy said.
“When we are struggling to save our standing crops and to supply water for drinking needs, Tamil Nadu’s demand cannot be met,” Mr. Murthy said.
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Assuring samiti president and former MP G. Made Gowda of support on the issue, Mr. Murthy said: “We [residents of Bangalore] are with you and we will be with you.” The BBMP councillors will stage protests against the “illogical demands” of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalitaa in all the wards of Bangalore, Mr. Murthy announced.
Mr. Made Gowda advised Mr. Shettar “not to worry of constitutional obligations” when it comes to protecting the interests of State farmers. The BBMP councillors burnt an effigy of Jayalalitaa.
A warm welcome, with folk artists performing and beating drums, was offered to BBMP councillors when they arrived in two KSRTC Volvo buses to Mandya.
The councillors took out a protest march from Sanjay Circle to Sir M.. Visvesvaraya statue off Bangalore-Mysore Highway where the samiti is staging its protest.