Farmers Demand Action to Harness Cauvery River Surplus

Farmers in the Cauvery delta staged a protest demanding the construction of barrages and a dam to prevent surplus river water from flowing into the sea. Led by P R Pandian, they urged the state government to construct barrages every 5 km along the Kollidam river and a dam near Hogenakkal.

Farmers from the Cauvery delta areas gathered on Sunday to protest the current handling of surplus water from the river. They called for immediate action to prevent the excess water from flowing into the sea, advocating for the construction of barrages and a dam instead.

Under the leadership of farmer leader P R Pandian, the demonstrators demanded the state government to build a barrage every 5 km along the Kollidam river, the northern distributary of the Cauvery. The farmers argued that this infrastructure would prevent surplus water from being wasted by draining into the sea.

Additionally, they pushed for the construction of a dam at Rasimanal near Hogenakkal, emphasizing the need due to groundwater depletion in areas close to the Kollidam river banks. In a unified voice, the farmers also opposed Karnataka's proposal to build the Mekedatu dam.

(With inputs from agencies.)