Mysuru: Upset over the release of water from Cauvery to Tamil Nadu and stoppage of water to irrigation canals, the farmers who were protesting outside CADA office were arrested and released on Wednesday. The police nabbed the protesting farmers when they disturbed the traffic flow at KR Circle in a bid to form human chain.
More than 70 farmers arrested, including two physically disabled farmers were arrested and later released. After staging protest overnight in front of CADA office the farmers later locked the office of district in-charge minister HC Mahadevappa at CADA premise. The farmers demanded the government to stop the release of water to TN immediately and continue to release water for irrigation canals.

Kurubur Shanthakumar said, “The government and elected representatives are not having any concern towards farmers. They are saying that they have stopped releasing water into the irrigation canals due to shortage of water. If the government stops releasing water to canals, the farmers who have grown paddy and sugarcane in Cauvery and Kabini basin will face lot of problems. Though there is shortage of water in state, government released more than 40tmc water to Tamil Nadu. Our protest will go on till government stops releasing water to TN and release water to irrigation canals in Kabini and Cauvery basins.”

He said that farmers have decided to block roads in Cauvery catchment areas including Mysuru, Mandya and Chamarajanagar from Thursday.