Govt cheating us, sending excess water to Tamil Nadu: Mandya farmers

Farmers from Mandya and surrounding regions have taken out a protest, block Bengaluru-Mysuru highway Their bone of contention is that they have been denied of water while Tamil Nadu farmers are being supplied Mandya police have deployed heavy security at the KRS reservoir, even as protests intensify 

Are Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir (KRS) authorities cheating Mandya farmers for Tamil Nadu farmers? At least that's what the farmers from the Mandya region are alleging. Suspecting that reservoir authorities are releasing an increased outflow to Tamil Nadu, farmers from Mandya and surrounding areas have resorted to a flash protest in Mandya on Friday.

They alleged that the water outflow to Tamil Nadu has been increased to 2,300 cusecs. So far, the state government has been directed by the Supreme Court to only release 2,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, a television channel reported.

"Water level in the reservoir is still not up to the mark. The inflow is steadily increasing and it is considerably less when compared to last year, thanks to moderate rainfall in the Cauvery basin," farmers said, reports Vijaya Karnataka.

The protesting farmers demanded that if the reservoir authorities are releasing more water to Tamil Nadu, they first release it to the canals to help them. "They have been denying water for us, but are quietly favouring Tamil Nadu farmers," the farmers alleged.

Meanwhile, the Mandya district police have deployed heavy security at the KRS dam as the protesting farmers have threatened to lay siege to the dam. The farmers have also blocked Mysuru-Bengaluru highway to register their protest.