The Karnataka government lreleased more than 10,000 cusecs of water from the Krishnaraja Sagar dam, in keeping with the Supreme Court’s order on the Cauvery dispute.
Chief minister Jagadish Shettar gave enough indications of it earlier in the day when he told opposition leaders that farmers had been adversely affected whenever orders of the apex court, the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, Cauvery River Authority (CRA) and Cauvery Monitoring Committee (CMC) were violated. “There is a legal boundary. Within the legal framework, we will do everything possible to protect the interests of farmers,” the CM said.
Sources said Karnataka’s legal team, headed by Fali S Nariman, and the advocate general had advised the government to obey the order. Shettar cited half a dozen instances when the state government was forced to comply with orders to release water. He said then chief minister S M Krishna had to appear before the court and apologize for disobeying the Supreme Court and CRA. “The contempt petition filed by TN has still not been disposed of,” a minister said, hinting that Karnataka has no other option.
In Tamil Nadu, anticipating trouble, trucks bound for Mysore and other parts of Karnataka stopped service at Sathyamangalam and Bannari in Erode district. Police said vehicular movement from Hosur in Krishnagiri district to Bangalore was normal.
A bandh-like situation prevailed in many parts of the Cauvery belt in Karnataka on Thursday, with protests breaking out over the expected release of water. Mandya and Krishnaraja Sagar dam site wore a deserted look as private vehicles and KSRTC buses remained off the roads, and shops and other commercial establishments downed their shutters.
The authorities had advised commuters between Bangalore and Mysore to take alternative roads owing to the protest. About 1,000 police personnel were deployed to keep a strict vigil in Mandya and KRS to maintain law and order. “No violence was reported during the day,” a police officer said.
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