Karnataka farmers breach border wall

Anantapur: The situation was tense on Sunday in the border areas near P. Badegera in Agali mandal and Sajjenahalli in the Sira Taluk of Karnataka after farmers from Karnataka Rythu Sangha gave a call to breach a century-old wall across the Suvarnamukhi river supply channel following poor inflows into Karnataka tanks. Police from both states were posted to stop untoward incidents en route to Sajjenahalli.

The wall was constructed in 1892 to divert water towards Agali mandal’s tanks following severe depletion of ground water sources. The channel had been flowing for the past few days due to heavy rainfall in surrounding areas.

The Karnataka Rythu Sangha, led by its president Mr Kodihalli Chandrasekhar, had called for a protest and to breach the wall for  inflows into the tanks of Sira and Madhuguiri talukas.

On Sunday, hundreds of farmers gathered from various parts of Karnataka to participate in the protest while AP farmers too readied to retaliate. Sensing trouble, police departments of both states were put on alert and Tumkur SP Karthik Reddy, along with 500 policemen, was posted en route to the spot.

AP home minister N. China Rajappa also directed Anantapur SP S.V. Rajasekhar Babu to look into the issue and additional forces were posted along the state’s borders. Section 144 was imposed in and around Sajjenahalli village and on roads from Madhugiri and Sira.

Police stopped the activists from entering the Suvarnamukhi river site and finally permitted only 10 people to visit the spot. Karnataka Farmers’ Association leaders K. Chandrasekhar, B. Narayana and Mr Shivappa visited the spot and said they would announce their plans to fight against the wall. Meanwhile, AP farmers’ association leader Ananda Ranaga Reddy recalled that was not at all an issue because the British had built  the wall.