Cauvery row: Farmers, pro-Kannada outfits stage protest in Karnataka's Mandya
What's the story
Pro-Kannada outfits and farmer organizations in the Mandya district of Karnataka have called for a bandh on Saturday to protest the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA)'s move to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.
This response comes right after the Supreme Court (SC) refused to intervene with the CWMA order regarding the release of Cauvery River water on Thursday.
What Next?
Security ramped up
Amid the calls for the strike, the police have decided to beef up security to avoid any unwanted incidents.
Speaking to the news agency ANI, Mandya Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dr. Kumar stated, "The present situation is peaceful. No untoward incidents have been reported so far." "We (police) have taken all precautionary measures," added the top cop.
Officers are on the lookout for incidents of stone-pelting on any Tamil Nadu-registered buses or private automobiles.
Twitter Post
You can watch Mandya DC's remarks here
#WATCH | Karnataka: On bandh called by farmers and pro-Kannada organizations in Mandya district over the Cauvery water issue, Dr Kumar, Mandya DC says, "The present situation is peaceful. No untoward incidents have been reported so far. We've taken all precautionary measures." pic.twitter.com/OETLWijrhL
— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2023
Details
Details on security arrangements
Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) MB Boralingaiah told the media that the police have made extensive security arrangements.
"We have Rapid Action Force (RAF), Karnataka State Armed Reserve Police Force, district armed reserve, and civil officers and men sufficiently deployed at all the important points," he said.
"I would like to appeal to the protesters to keep calm and not to damage any property and not to create any issues," Boralingaiah added.
Protests
Chain of protests in Karnataka over Cauvery water release
Ahead of Saturday's calls for a strike, members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike staged demonstrations in Udupi and Bengaluru on Thursday and Friday.
News agency PTI reported that protests were also held in other Cauvery River basin districts like Chamarajanagar, Ramanagara, and Mysuru.
Districts such as Chitradurga, Ballari, Davanagere, Koppal, and Vijayapura also saw protests with people shouting slogans, blocking roads, and burning tires and effigies.
Details
Decades-long Cauvery River dispute continues
It is worth noting that the Cauvery River water dispute has been a long-standing problem between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
For decades, the two neighboring states have been battling over the sharing of water from the river, which is the main source of drinking water and irrigation for millions of individuals living in these two states.
The Cauvery was declared a national asset in 2018 by the SC, which also largely upheld the water-sharing agreements set forth by the CWDT.