The Hindu : Wadiyar joins stir against CRA order

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 14, 2002

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National

Wadiyar joins stir against CRA order

By Our Staff Correspondent

Mysore Sept. 13. The scion of the royal family and Congress MP, Srikantadutta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, today joined the stir against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

The MP was criticised by the former Mayor, M.S. Raju, and the Janata Dal(S) on Thursday "for not lending support or upholding the cause of Karnataka" on the Cauvery issue.

Mr. Wadiyar, who arrived at the K.R. Circle here this morning, joined the activists who have been staging a dharna for the last four days under the banner of the Mysore District All-Party Cauvery Action Committee.

He said the Cauvery issue was being politicised by vested interests to create political instability. He affirmed his support to the "people's struggle" and said the directive of the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) to release 9,000 cusecs of water daily was "unscientific".

Mr. Wadiyar said this had saddened the people of Karnataka and urged the CRA to give a decision that would not create heartburns among the people of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Members of the Mysore and Chamarajanagar Tamil Sangam extended their support to Karnataka's cause.

Meanwhile, Hunsur in Mysore district and Kirigodu in Mandya district observed a bandh in protest against the release of water to Tamil Nadu. Farmers and activists have called for "K.R. Nagar bandh" on Monday when train and bus services are likely to be disrupted.In Mysore, students took out a procession and staged a demonstration. Movement of vehicles on the Bangalore-Mysore road was yet to return to normal as there were sporadic incidents of "rasta roko" .

M.S. Atmananda, MLA, and his supporters today maintained vigil at the Krishna Raja Sagar to prevent the release of water.

The Rajasthani community in Mandya took out a procession and closed its business establishments as a mark of protest over the release of water.

Kabini Dam

Security has been beefed up around the Kabini Reservoir as farmers threatened to lay siege to the dam if the crest gates were opened again.

The Jilla Raitha Hitarakshana Samiti president, Mallesh, said here today that the water level had declined in the reservoir because of poor inflow. The water-level was below the right and the left bank low level canals and hence no irrigation was possible in the region.

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