Protests continue in Cauvery basin districts

Protests over release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu entered third day on Tuesday in the river basin districts even as Karnataka government said it would file a petition in Supreme Court seeking a direction to the prime minister to review the decision of the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) headed by him on water release. Vehicular traffic between Mysore-Bangalore remained disrupted following continued protests by farmers and pro-Kannada outfits in Mandya, Maddur, Gejjalagere and other areas. A group of farmers forced their way into Cauvery water pumping station in Torekadanahalli near Malavalli in Mandya district, from where Bangalore gets Cauvery water, and switched off the pumps, police said, adding, they dispersed the protesters and restored its working. At Malavalli, members of Rajya Raitha Sangha, a farmers’ body, held a semi-nude protest. In Bangalore, pro-Kannada activists gheroed Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and were later arrested. Farmers’ bodies also held protest in the city and demanded the resignation of Shettar. Shettar said the government is filing a petition before Supreme Court praying for a direction to the CRA to review its Sept.19 directive for releasing 9,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu. From gulftoday