Cauvery water issue: The Cauvery Delta Protection Movement on Wednesday called for a bandh in Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu to protest against the Karnataka government's failure to release adequate water for irrigation.
The bandh was supported by several farmer Unions in the state. The farmer organisations are also scheduled to stage protests in Nagapattinam.
Earlier, the Cauvery Farmers Protection Association workers attempted to hold a rail roko protest near Kilvelur railway station in Nagapattinam on October 2.
TN Assembly adopts resolution on Cauvery issue
The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday adopted a resolution over the ongoing Cauvery water issue. The assembly urged the Centre to direct Karnataka to release water from the river as per the directions of the Supreme Court.
The main opposition AIADMK supported the resolution following a debate, while the BJP legislators staged a walkout. BJP leaders said they wanted amendments to the resolution, pledging support to nationalisation of rivers and the Dam Safety Act.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said the state government opened the Mettur dam on June 12 for the Kuruvai (short-duration paddy) crop and at a time when farmers had taken up related farm work, Karnataka created an "artificial crisis" and did not release water from the river as per the apex court's directions.
In June, only 2.833 tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) of water was realised as against 9.19 tmc at the Biligundlu point on the inter-state border.
"Several steps were taken to get Karnataka to release water. It includes approaching the Central government, the Supreme Court, the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC)," he added.
Karnataka moves SC
On the other side, the Karnataka government filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking a direction to CWMA to review its decisions on water release to Tamil Nadu. On September 29, the CWMA directed Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs to Tamil Nadu.
(With agencies inputs)
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