Water release continues amid widespread protests in Karnataka
As promised, the authorities released water into canals to help farmers, around 9 am on Thursday.
Mysuru: Amidst the intensified agitation in Mandya and Mysuru, authorities at KRS and Kabini reservoirs released 17,410 cusecs, for the second day on Thursday to TN. Hemavathi and Harangi reservoirs too released 10,500 cusecs to KRS, from where water will be released to TN.
As promised, the authorities released water into canals to help farmers, around 9 am on Thursday. The state has 43.30 tmcft of live storage in four dams and, 36.539 tmcft has reached Biligundlu reservoir in Tamil Nadu this water year from June 1.
While KRS has released 3500 cusecs into the canal leading to Tamil Nadu, Kabini has released 1500 cusecs, Harangi has released 1900 cusecs and Hemavathi, 4380 cusecs. Water level at KRS on Thursday was 91.88 feet as against its capacity of 124.80 feet, the inflow was 2645 cusecs and outflow, 12,682 cusecs.
At Kabini, the water level was 2275.34 feet as against its capacity of 2284 feet. The inflow was 1350 cusecs and outflow, 4000 cusecs. At Hemavathi, the water level was 2892.22 feet as against its capacity of 2922 feet. While the inflow was 1,790 cusecs, outflow was 8,500 cusecs. At Harangi, the water level was 2852.50 feet as against its capacity of 2859 feet, while the inflow was 1,286 cusecs, outflow was 2,000 cusecs.
Mandya shut for third day
Despite releasing water into canals to save the paddy crop in the Cauvery basin, the entire Mandya district observed a total bandh for the third consecutive day on Thursday. While road transport remained affected, trains ran as usual helping thousands of daily commuters between Bengaluru and Mysuru.
The CM's reported move to calm farmers of Mandya by releasing water, seems to have had no effect as thousands of farmers continued to hold protests in the city. Farmers were still pouring into the city in their bullock carts to express their discontent over the release of water to Tamil Nadu.
The city remained cut off from the rest of the state for the third consecutive day with no movement of state transport buses and private vehicles. Even private vehicles were stopped at the entry points of the district by agitators.
Two days after protesters vent their anger against Kannada film stars by pulling down their cut-outs, two leading stars, Darshan Tugudeepa and Prem participated in the agitation. Another star, Sudeep, has tweeted extending his support to the ongoing farmers agitation.