New Delhi: In the wake of the Cauvery water sharing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, farmers from both states on Sunday staged a protest over the Cauvery water release issue.

 


Farmers in Tamil Nadu's Trichy district staged protests by standing in Cauvery water, over the ongoing dispute with Karnataka.

 

They are demanding the release of the Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.



On the other hand, farmers and pro-Kannada outfits in Karnataka's Mandya district continued to oppose the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu from dams in Karnataka.

















On Saturday, pro-Kannada outfits took out a march and raised slogans alleging injustice to Mandya, where the Krishnaraja Sagar Dam on the Cauvery River is located. They had appealed to the people, especially shopkeepers and owners of various other commercial establishments including petrol and diesel service stations, to cooperate by observing a total bandh.

 

Irrigation department officials told PTI on Saturday that Karnataka was releasing 5,000 cusecs of water to the neighbouring state as per the Cauvery Water Management Authority's direction.

 

Meanwhile, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva said: "Though there(Karnataka) argument that there is a lack of water in Cauvery at the same time Tamil Nadu is suffering, the delta farmers are totally dependent on agriculture. Tamil Nadu govt is trying through the legal process and in all the possible manner, seeking the support of the Union Govt and Jal Shakti Minister as well as coordinating through all the possible sources to settle this issue amicably."

 

"Our CM is very diplomatically handling this issue and we are hopeful that Tamil Nadu will get its due," he added.

 

The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) had on Monday asked Karnataka to continue releasing 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for another 15 days, after the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) made such a recommendation last week.

 

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to interfere with orders of the CWMA and CWRC directing Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu, following which protests erupted in different parts of the state.

 

Karnataka has been maintaining that it is not in a position to release water, taking into account its own requirement for drinking water and irrigation for standing crops in the Cauvery basin areas, as there has been water scarcity due to deficit monsoon rains.