Mangaluru: Even as Dakshina Kannada district refused to be a part of the state-wide bundh called recently in wake of SC’s Cauvery water dispute verdict, over 200 farmers from the district took to street on Tuesday opposing the recent SC order that Karnataka has to release 3000 cusec water to Tamil Nadu for ten days.

A protest march took place from Clock Tower near Hampankatta to DC’s Office where they submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner.

The farmers are seeing water shortage in their agricultural areas due to various reasons and the demand for water to be used in agricultural areas has increased since the rains too have taken a beating with the consistency of the rains no longer the same. Apart from the Cauvery issue, the Nethravathi diversion project and Kumaradhara hydel projects will create unnatural water shortage in agricultural lands in Dakshina Kannada, they insisted.

Chengappa, a Lawyer by profession who is fighting against the Nethravathi river diversion project said that the protest is also about showing solidarity with people of Karnataka over the Cauvery issue.

“It is not possible to fight for Cauvery water without the support of the rest of the state. Dakshina Kannada farmers too support the farmers in Mandya and the rest of the state, since it is a protest for an essential element in agriculture, “Chengappa added.

The memorandum given to the DC is to give a solution to the Thumbe Vented dam issue where the water is going to be increased to 7 meters from 5 meters. This will hamper the agricultural land and release lesser water to the farmers.

Earlier certain organisations had decided not be a part of the state-wide bundh as they felt that the government was treating Cauvery as a priority issue and Yettinahole project was not being treated with the same kind of seriousness.