TIRUCHY: Farmers from Tiruchy on Thursday staged a human chain protest along the Mukkombu regulator demanding water for samba cultivation.

Around 400 farmers led by Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam state president Chinnasamy who assembled at the Mukkombu regulator demanded the Tamil Nadu government to stop power supply from Neyveli and Koodankulam to Karnataka until they release the due share of water to Tamil Nadu.

They also demanded the state government to accelerate the interlinking of rivers in Tamil Nadu, remove encroachments in the water bodies across the state to ensure storage of water during the monsoon.

They claimed that Karnataka has adequate storage of water in their reservoirs and they intentionally refuse to release water to Tamil Nadu.

The farmers said, as Karnataka failed to adhere to the Supreme Court order and the Cauvery Water Management Authority directions, standing kuruvai crop withered away and currently the farmers who have been depending on the river irrigation are yet to decide on the samba cultivation.

They demanded the state government to insist upon the Union government and get the due share of water from Karnataka. Members from various farmers associations and social activists took part in the human chain protest.