TIRUCHY: As many as 110 farmers who staged a rail roko protest against the Mekedatu dam were arrested in Thanjavur on Friday.
Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Association State president L Palaniappan called for a protest against the Mekedatu dam construction by the Karnataka government, which would affect the Cauvery Delta region.
Accordingly, the farmers assembled in front of the Thanjavur junction railway station and said that the Supreme Court has directed the Karnataka Government to submit the DPR on the Mekedatu dam construction, with the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) cancelling the plea of the Tamil Nadu government. They said that the farmers from across the state expressed their opposition to the construction of the Mekedatu dam, as it would affect the Delta irrigation.
The farmers demanded that the Mekedatu dam project for discussed in the CWMA meeting scheduled on December 8, and the union government should direct Karnataka to withdraw the project.
The farmers demanded that the union government allow Tamil Nadu to construct the Rasimanal dam on Tamil Nadu and Karnataka border.
They also demanded to write off the crop loans availed by the farmers be written off, as they have been facing a huge loss due to the natural calamities.
The farmers raised slogans in support of their demands and went to the railway station, and stopped the Tiruchy-Chennai Cholan Express. Soon, the railway police, with the support of the local police, arrested all 10 farmers.