Cauvery dispute: Strong opposition in K’taka against CWMA direction for water release to TN

Mysuru: There has been vehement opposition in the state, especially from the ryots, to the CWMA directive to the Karnataka government to continue releasing water to Tamil Nadu.

State Raitha Sangha president Badagalapura Nagendra expressed his anger and said that the CWMA order cannot be followed.

The state government has already declared drought. About 90 percent of Karnataka is facing drought conditions. There is also drought in the Cauvery basin. Drinking water is becoming a problem in the state, he said.

He termed CWMA’s order to be “unscientific and unrealistic.” CWMA should have assessed the ground situation by visiting the state before issuing such directives, he opined.

“The decision taken in Delhi is one-sided. This should be categorically rejected by the state government. An appeal should be filed in the Supreme Court,” he said and warned that the farmers will be forced to take to the streets in protest if Cauvery water is released to TN.

Meanwhile, another farmers’ leader Kurubur Shanthakumar advocated for complete non-compliance with the CWMA’s order. “No water should be released under any circumstances,” he said.

Highlighting that the reservoirs on the Cauvery River running dry, Shanthakumar implored the Karnataka government to prioritize and protest the interest of the people of the state, especially the farmers in the Cauvery basin.