Srirangapatna: Accusing the State Government of clandestinely releasing  10,000 cusecs of Cauvery water daily to Tamil Nadu, farmers, under the banner of Bhumi Taayi Horata Samiti, registered their protest by venturing into Cauvery river  at the bathing ghat in Srirangapatna taluk yesterday.

Addressing the farmers, the Horata Samiti leader K.S. Nanjundegowda alleged that the State Government was clandestinely releasing 10,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu every day through 10 gates of KRS reservoir. Maintaining that the water release is a death blow to farmers of Cauvery Basin in Karnataka, he said that farmers were sowing paddy believing that the authorities would release water under the ‘Kattu’ system (The ‘Kattu’ system, also referred to as a rotational or turn-based water release system, is a regulated method of discharging water into irrigation canals in fixed, alternating time cycles).

In such a situation, how can the farmers hope that they would get water, he said.

Alleging that the State Government was in repeated denial of water release to Tamil Nadu, Nanjundegowda said, this was nothing but an attempt to fool the Cauvery Basin farmers.

Questioning the silence of elected representatives over the issue, he warned of intensifying the protest, if the Government fails to release water through canals under the ‘Kattu’ system.

Samiti President Ballenahalli B.C. Krishnegowda, leaders Melapura Jayaramegowda, Undawadi Puttamadu, Mahalingu, Ravi Lakshmana, Ramachandru, Manjunath and others were present.