Kaveri River Dispute Intensifies: Protests Break Out Across Karnataka, Mandya Bandh Tomorrow

The Kaveri river dispute is getting intense, as protests erupted across Karnataka today. Starting from Cauvery heartland of Mandya and Mysuru on Thursday after the Supreme Court refused to interfere with orders of the CWMA and CWRC directing Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to TN for the next 15 days, Bengaluru also witnessed severe protests.

Raitha Hitharakshana Samiti calling for a Mandya bandh on Saturday 23 September. Farmers and members of various organisations took to the streets against the apex court’s directives.

The agitators formed a human chain in prominent junctions and blocked the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway. Farmers in Mandya took to river water and protested.

Calling the directives to Karnataka to release water is unscientific, they feared that there would be no water to quench the thirst of Mysuru, Mandya, Bengaluru and other districts in the Cauvery basin if water is released.

Members of the Raitha Hitharakshana Samiti and Mysugar factory achukat sugarcane growers submitted a memorandum to the officials at the Mandya Deputy Commissioner’s office urging the government not to release water to the neighbouring state as there is not enough water in the KRS and Kabini reservoirs.