Farmers to 'refill' canal today

By Our Staff Correspondent

TUMKUR, MAY 11. The farmers' agitation in Sira taluk of Tumkur District, in protest against the construction of the Sidigappana Katte Feeder Canal across the border in Andhra Pradesh, has taken a new turn with farmers in about 30 villages around Honnagondanahalli deciding to enter Andhra Pradesh on Saturday and fill up the canal with mud.

The farmers seem to have lost confidence in the Government's ability to resolve the issue. Even as news of the Chief Minister, Mr. S.M. Krishna, convening an all-party meeting on the matter on May 16 reached here, a farmers' committee announced its ``action plan'' to refill the canal.

It appears that the farmers' plan is not influenced by party politics. Mr. B.K. Badeeranna, President of the Sira unit of the Congress, was present when the decision to fill up the canal was taken. He said that his party MLA, Mr. P.M. Ranganathappa, and the JD(S) leader and former minister, Mr. B. Satyanarayana, would lead the farmers to Andhra Pradesh.

It may be recalled that since April 16, when work on the canal began, the farmers were hopeful of the Government taking action on the issue, and had not involved party leaders.

But, Mr. Krishna is widely believed to have ``soft-pedalled'' the issue, and has invited the wrath of the farmers. On his directive, Mr. H.K. Patil, Minister for Water Resources, conducted an inspection on April 29. It is alleged that Mr. Patil's report to the Chief Minister was guided by the contention of the Department of Minor Irrigation that the canal ``will not affect the Karnataka villages much, as only two cusecs of water will be taken to irrigate 50 acres of land in Byadagere, in Madakashira taluk''. The farmers are unhappy that Mr. Krishna undertook an election campaign tour of Tamil Nadu, ``neglecting'' the canal issue. Local Congressmen are now under pressure to go along with the farmers' plan.

Mr. Honnesha Gowda, a leader of the farmers, says Andhra Pradesh has a ``hidden plan'' to draw water from Sidigappana Katte, Rangammana Katte and Obalanayakana Katte by a couple of feeder canals to as far as Odagundanahalli, Kenkere and Madoodi. ``The issue may look a triviality to the CM. But, it is an issue of our lives,'' he says.

He suggests that the flow of water into the Agali and Madoodi tanks in Andhra Pradesh be blocked in retaliation. Mr. Honnesha Gowda says blockades to prevent the flow of water at these points can be erected at a cost of Rs. 30 lakhs. If the Government fails to meet the cost, the farmers will fund it on their own, according to him.

The Opposition parties have also become unpopular among the farmers. The Janata Dal (United) leader, Mr. P.G.R. Sindhia, who promised them that he will secure the support of the JD (Secular) State President, Mr. Siddaramaiah, and start a hunger strike at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Bangalore, demanding immediate stoppage of work on the canal, has failed to take any steps.

It is intriguing that the former Prime Minister and JD(S) President, Mr. H.D. Deve Gowda, has not reacted to the issue. So also the factions of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and the pro-Kannada organisations, including the Kannada Sahitya Parishat.

Mr. S. Shivanna, MLA from Tumkur and President of the district unit of the BJP, visited the villages on Thursday.

He tried to convince the farmers to take legal recourse.

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh Government has reportedly conducted a technical survey of the Sidigappana Katte dam (bund), allegedly to raise its height by two metres.

Work on the 800-metre-long canal is in its final stage.

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Section  : Southern States
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