Karnataka: Farmers protest as Kabini, KRS water released to Tamil Nadu

Mysuru: Even as water was released on Monday to Tamil Nadu from the Kabini and KRS reservoirs, pro- Kannada organisations blocked the Mysuru-Bengaluru highway in Mandya in protest and farmers led by Melkote MLA , K S Puttannaiah staged a dharna before the Mandya Deputy Commissioner’s office, demanding waiver of their loans taken from nationalised banks.

So far 0.793 TMC of water has reached the Biligundlu measuring station in Tamil Nadu since June this year, according to sources in the water resources department.

Kodagu, which forms part of the Cauvery river’s catchment area, has received an average rainfall of 743.48 mm from January to July 3 this year as against 756.62 mm during the same period last year.

On Monday, the water level at KRS was 74.15 feet , as against its capacity to hold 124.80 feet of water. Last year it had 84.30 feet of water the same day .

At Kabini, the water level on Monday was 2261.67ft as against its capacity to hold 2284 ft . Last year it had 2262.04 ft of water the same day . Hemavathi had 2866.99 ft of water as against its capacity to store 2878.75 feet. It had 2878.75 ft of water the same day last year.

At Harangi the water level on Monday was 2825.16 feet as against its capacity to store 2859 feet. Last year it had 2842.35 ft of water on the same day.