Members of Cauvery Farmers Protection Association attempted to stage a rail roko near Kilvelur railway station in Nagapattinam district on Monday, October 2, 2023 condemning the Karnataka government for not releasing the due share of water in Cauvery river.
Farmers led by Cauvery S. Dhanapalan, general secretary of the Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, tried to stage the rail roko by holding paddy crops near Kilvelur railway gate. They attempted to block the Velankanni-Tiruchi DEMU train. The farmers wore black-coloured badges and raised slogans condemning the Karnataka government for not releasing water in Cauvery River.
“Over 35,000 acres of kuruvai paddy crop in Tamil Nadu has withered due to non-availability of water for irrigation. Farmers pin their hopes on the upcoming samba season and have to solely depend on Cauvery water for irrigation,” said M. Prakash, deputy general secretary, Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, and demanded the Union government to exert pressure on the Karnataka government to comply with the directions of the Supreme Court of India and Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).
They also demanded the CWMA to take control of the operation of dams across Cauvery river in Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu. The Kilvelur police removed the protestors from the spot and detained them at a private marriage hall. Meanwhile, members of various farmers’ associations have planned to stage a hunger strike at Avurithidal in Nagapattinam demanding the release of water in Cauvery river.
