"The CMC's decision has come as a rude shock to farmers in the Cauvery river basin. The Samiti will seek legal opinion on the matter to fight it out either in the apex court or CRA," former Minister and vice president of Cauvery Horatta, Samiti M S Atmananda, said here today.
He said their next course of action would hinge on the apex court's direction tomorrow.
Atmananda regretted CMC's decision to award 8.85 TMC water to Tamil Nadu in spite of the central study team's submissions that Karnataka has received inadequate rains. "Our farmers are in distress and badly in need of water for agricultural purpose," he said.
He said the samiti also planned a 'Delhi Chalo' agitation in future if the situation so demanded and a meeting of state MPs and MLAs in Bangalore would be held soon.
Meanwhile, the Cauvery Hitharakshana Samiti, spearheading the stir, said farmers would continue relay hunger strike against CMC's decision. "We have sought legal opinion in the wake of its decision," samiti president G Madegowda said.
Activists of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike protested the CMC decision and raised slogans against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and warned the state government not to release any water.
They also blocked Mysore-Bangalore road and staged dharna.
In the wake of the protests authorities said prohibitory orders have been clamped in one km radius of KRS dam from midnight tonight.
CMC had decided at a meeting in Delhi yesterday that Tamil Nadu would get 8.85 TMC of water over the next fortnight.
Karnataka, however, said it would not accept the award.
The "award" of the committee is based on findings of a central team that visited Karnataka and Tamil Nadu last week.
Sources had said the award is clear that Tamil Nadu "shall receive" 8.85 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of water between October 16 and October 31.
