A day after Karnataka government stopped release of water to Tamil Nadu citing low storage in KRS reservoir, farmers here said they would continue their dharna till the Cauvery River Authority reviewed its earlier directive.
“Till the CRA headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gives its verdict, we will continue the agitation,” former minister and leader of Cauvery Hitarakshana Samithi (the committee spearheading the stir) MS Atmananda told reporters here.
Karnataka has been requesting the CRA to stay its September 19 order asking the state to release 9,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu daily till October 15 and keep it in abeyance till the decision was subjected to review.
The Cauvery Monitoring Committee is expected to meet in Delhi on October 11 during which the reports of the two central study teams that visited both the states are likely to be debated. Farmers claim that water was still flowing into Tamil Nadu though the irrigation department officials say crest gates had been shut. “We will continue the stir for two more days and await the outcome of the monitoring committee,” Atmananda said.
A group of farmers also blocked Mysore-Bangalore road on Tuesday demanding early review of the CRA decision. Cauvery Hitarakshana Samithi president G Madegowda also continued his dharna.
Farmers would decide their future course of action after learning from the Supreme Court, which had adjourned the state's petition on the dispute to October 12. The apex court had said its order directing Karnataka to supply 9,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu will not be an impediment in the Prime Minister deciding on the review plea.
