Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra was detained along with other party workers on Friday while protesting near the Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) dam against the State government over the Cauvery water dispute.
The protest was held after the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s (CWRC) direction to release 3,500 cusec of water daily to Tamil Nadu.
Vijayendra accused the state government of failing to take precautionary measures despite a drought warning and alleged that farmers’ interests were being ignored.
“Despite the central government having issued a drought warning, the state government has not taken the necessary precautionary measures. Instead, the administration’s focus has been on power struggles and armchair politics. As a result, farmers’ lives have been played with,” Vijayendra sai duing today’s protest.
He also criticised Chief Minister DK Shivakumar saying that the decision of the CWRC was unfair to farmers.
“CM DK Shivakumar has previously served as the Irrigation Minister and Deputy Chief Minister. Despite being fully aware of the Cauvery issue, agreeing to release water to Tamil Nadu is unfair to the farmers,” he said.
Vijayendra further alleged that Shivakumar had failed to consult legal experts while dealing with the Cauvery water dispute.
“Despite going to Delhi many times and holding meetings with the party leadership, he did not even once consult with legal experts for the interests of the farmer,” he said.
BJP leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, who was also present at today’s protest also heaped criticism on the Congress-led government in Karnataka.
“Chief Minister, listen, we are sitting here near the dam. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister is coming to Karnataka. Bring him here too, show him the level of water. The Supreme Court should have been made aware of the situation here. The Chief Minister here is doing politics,” Yediyurappa said.
The protest comes amid a fresh dispute over the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), which met in New Delhi on Thursday, upheld the recommendation of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directing Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu, with a total release of 4 TMC recommended over 15 days.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Shivakumar today chaired a meeting to review the Cauvery water situation in the state in light of the recent CWMA orders.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, Director General of Police Saleem Ahmed and senior bureaucrats and police officers.
The Cauvery water dispute has also resurfaced amid developments concerning Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir-cum-Drinking Water Project.
The Centre has returned the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Mekedatu project to the project authority, seeking a revised DPR in compliance with the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award and extant Central Water Commission guidelines.
The Centre has also taken note of representations from the Tamil Nadu government and farmers’ organisations raising concerns over the project’s possible impact on the Cauvery Delta region and drinking water availability in other districts.