‘Burying’ stir seeking water from Karnataka

The farmers led by the movement leader, P Ayyakannu, assembled at the Cauvery riverbed at Oyamari area buried them and raised slogans demanding water for kuruvai cultivation.

They pointed out that the apex court as well as the Cauvery Management Board directed to release water, but the Karnataka government failed to pay attention even to the court’s direction.

“Since the Karnataka government has been disobeying the court, the Centre should initiate steps to dissolve the government or else, let the Karnataka government bury all the Tamil Nadu farmers alive,” Ayyakannu said while raising slogans against both the State’s governments.

The farmers also demanded the State government to put pressure on the Karnataka government with its proximity with the Centre and initiate steps to release water for kuruvai cultivation as it has failed for the past eight years in the Cauvery delta region-which use to cultivate kuruvai over five lakh acres of land.

They demanded to get the due of 9.2 tmc water that has been instructed by the court, which would in turn support the farmers who have already taken up cultivation with the help of groundwater in Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur.

Angered by the inaction over supplying drinking water despite repeated pleas in the past six months, protesting residents of a village near Arni in the district not only resorted to blocking the road, but also ‘impounded’ the vehicle of the official who came to hold talks with them on Wednesday.

According to the police, residents of Vadukasathu colony near Arni here became angry over officials not arranging steps to provide them with drinking water despite their repeated pleas for over the past six months.

The irate residents then blocked the Arni–Devikapuram road over this, causing traffic to get affected, following which the executive officer of Vadugasathur village panchayat, Kuppusamy, rushed to the spot to hold talks and pacify the locals.

However, as the officer was unable to convince the locals with promises of action, he decided to leave the spot. As he got into his official vehicle, the agitated villagers surrounded it and refused to allow it to leave.

Arni taluk police then rushed to the spot and ‘rescued’ the official. Based on the assurance of immediate action promised by the police, the crowd dispersed and the traffic flow resumed.