Farmers across the district on Wednesday intensified their protests against the release of Cauvery waters from Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) to Tamil Nadu.
Staging a protest outside the office of the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Ltd. (CNNL), near KRS, they shouted slogans against the CNNL officials. The Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) had organised the protest.
The KRRS members urged the State government to stop releasing water to Tamil Nadu immediately. Instead, the government should release water to the reservoir-dependent canals for the benefit of farmers, they said.
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Speaking to
Mandya district has been reeling under drought for the past three years, and the Irrigation Department had stopped water discharge to KRS dependent canals from May 31. Hence, the standing ragi, sugarcane, mulberry and other crops in the district were withering. In spite of this, CNNL had started releasing a huge quantum of water to Tamil Nadu, said KRRS district president Konasale Narasaraju.
Farmers also staged protests at Malavalli, Gejjalagere, Induwalu, Srirangapatna, Maddur and other places.
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Meanwhile, CNNL officials at KRS said the outflow from the reservoir had been increased by 1,819 cusecs in the past 24 hours. The outflow to Tamil Nadu was at the rate of 8,052 cusecs at 6.30 p.m. on Tuesday, and it rose to 9,871 cusecs at 6.30 p.m. on Wednesday, a senior CNN official said.
Water-levelOwing to the copious rainfall in the catchment areas of the Cauvery in Kodagu district, the water-level in KRS reached 90.40 ft. at 6.30 p.m. on Wednesday.
The inflow was at the rate of 24,829 cusecs.
The full reservoir level stands at 124.80 ft.