Cauvery water dispute: Pro-Kannada organisations to stage protest in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Pro-Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj on Wednesday said that the Pro-Kannada organization will protest and besiege the Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru over the Cauvery water issue. The protest will be held today and will be led by Vatal Nagaraj and other Pro Kannada activists.

The Karnatak Rakshina Vedike is demanding an immediate stop in Cauvery water being released to Tamil Nadu.

As per the orders of the Cauvery Water Management Authority Karnataka has been releasing 3000 cusecs of Cauvery Water to Tamil Nadu. The order is in place till October 15 when the Authority will meet again.

The pro-Kannada organisations also held a protest on Tuesday at Bengaluru Rural's Hoskote in Karnataka over the Cauvery water issue. The protest was held against the state government and was headed by pro-Kannada activist Nagaraj.

They blocked the National Highway near the Hoskote toll which connects Tamil Nadu to Andhra Pradesh. Some activists were detained by the police for blocking the National Highway. Earlier on October 5, Mandya police detained members of pro-Kannada organizations protesting over the Cauvery Water Issue.

The governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have been locked in a protracted tussle over the sharing of Cauvery waters. The river is seen as a major source of sustenance for the people in the two states.

The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee had ordered Karnataka to ensure the release of 3000 cusecs of Cauvery water at Biligundlu starting from September 28 till October 15, 2023.

Karnataka had filed a review petition against the order both in the Supreme Court and in CWMA (Cauvery Water Management Authority). Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had earlier expressed his disappointment on the recommendation of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) which has directed Karnataka to ensure the release of 3000 cusecs of Cauvery water at Biligundlu starting from September 28 up to October 15, 2023.

"Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) ordered to release of 3,000 cusecs of water, I have already spoken to our advocates. They have suggested us to challenge this order in the Supreme Court. We will challenge it in the Supreme Court. We don't have water to release to Tamil Nadu. We are challenging the orders of the CWRC," CM Siddaramaiah had said.

The Cauvery water-sharing issue has led to political turmoil in Karnataka with former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai accusing the state government of "lacking" the "will" to protect farmer's interests. The Karnataka government had cited a severe drought in parts of its state to refuse the supply of water to Tamil Nadu.

The Tamil Nadu government has accused its neighbour of lying to the nation about the supply of water. Tamil Nadu also passed a resolution in the Assembly calling upon the Centre to intervene and ensure that Karnataka continues to release Cauvery Water as per the CWMA guidelines.

The resolution was moved by TN Chief Minister MK Stalin and was passed unanimously.