Farmers force release of Kabini water

NANJANGUD: It was a busy Sunday forthe police and farmers, who gathered in their hundreds at Atwal barrage acrossthe river Kabini, 15 km from here. The farmers, from Nanjangud, Mysore andTirumakudalu Narsipur taluks, succeeded in forcing the water resource departmentto release water into the Ramapur main canal.Officials present atthe spot clarified that the 70 cusecs of water diverted from Kabini is intendedto meet the drinking water and other domestic needs of villages lining the 50-kmlong Ramapur canal, and not for irrigation purpose. “Thiswater is not to raise or save standing crops, it is to meet the drinking waterdemand of the villagers,� said SP K.H. Srinivasan, who spoke to higher-upsin Bangalore, including Chief Minister S.M. Krishna and Water Resources MinisterH.K. Patil, before directing engineers to open the canal gates.“I am issuing the clarification as release should not send awrong signal to the CRA, which is meeting in New Delhi tomorrow,� headded.However, there was high drama for four hours before water wasreleased, with farmers threatening to jump into the river and emulate Guruswamy.Kabini Ayacut Farmers Samiti leaders Kurubur Shantkumar and Mallesh led theryots to Atwal barrage and threatened to open the canal gates. The police, whohad sensed trouble, were present at the spot much before the farmers arrived inlorries and tractors. They stopped them far from the canal gates, and surroundedthem. Agitated farmers shouted slogans against the Krishnagovernment and demanded that the authorities release 250 cusecs of water intothe Ramapur canal immediately. A few came up with an idea to damage the canalgates.The police and other officials, looking visibly shaken,contacted the department at Bangalore and Command Area DevelopmentAuthority Chairman Venkatraju. They relayed the farmers’ demand andsuicide threats. Consent came from Krishna and Patil, who directedthe officials to open the canal gates to release 70 cusecs of water, andpersuade the farmers to accept the quantum.