Farmers from the Kabini command area take out a rally in Mysuru on Monday, demanding the release of water from the reservoir to protect standing crops.
| Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram
The Department of Water Resources has assured farmers from the Kabini command area that water will be released into the canals from September 27 for the second crop cycle, following their protest.
The assurance was given by Chief Engineer Ganesh during a meeting with farmers’ leaders at his office on Monday, following a protest and siege of the Command Area Development Authority (CADA) office in Mysuru.
The farmers, who assembled near Gun House Circle and took out a procession to the CADA office, raised slogans demanding the immediate release of water into the canals for crop protection and an end to the release of water to Tamil Nadu. They criticised the State government for allegedly neglecting the interests of farmers in the Kabini command area.
The protest was led by State Sugarcane Growers’ Association president Kurubur Shanthakumar. Addressing the gathering, he alleged that the State government had released water to Tamil Nadu despite the Kabini reservoir being full two months ago, leaving farmers in the Cauvery command area to suffer.
He criticised the government for declaring Mysuru, Mandya and Chamarajanagar districts drought-hit while, according to him, failing to protect farmers’ interests. He also accused irrigation officials of acting under political pressure despite being aware of the ground realities.
Mr. Shanthakumar demanded that water be released into the canals immediately to protect standing crops and that the release of water to Tamil Nadu be stopped. He warned that farmers would intensify their agitation if their demands were not met.
During the protest outside the CADA office, Superintending Engineer Raghumurthy informed the farmers that the water level in the Kabini reservoir had declined to 68 feet and that the available water could be used only for drinking purposes.
The explanation angered the farmers, who questioned the decision to release water from the reservoir when it was full and alleged that the authorities were ignoring the requirements of the command area. They insisted that the release of water through the river be stopped.
Later in the afternoon, Mr. Ganesh held a meeting with the farmers’ leaders in the presence of Superintending Engineer Raghumurthy and other officials. The authorities assured them that water would be released into the canals from September 27 for the second crop cycle. Following the assurance, the farmers withdrew their protest. More than 500 farmers participated in the protest.
Published – September 21, 2026 06:50 pm IST
