Srirangapatna: Strongly opposing the State Government’s move to conduct a ‘Cauvery Aarti’ on the lines of the ‘Ganga Aarti’ at Varanasi and to establish an Amusement Park at the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Reservoir, several organisations staged a massive demonstration near the KRS Dam in Srirangapatna taluk recently.

Addressing the protesters, farmer leader Sunanda Jayaram questioned why the Government was determined to push ahead with two projects that, according to her, pose a threat to the safety and stability of the historic dam.

She urged the Mandya District Minister to respect the consensus reached at a recent meeting with various organisations and asked whether there was no one to hold the Government accountable for actions detrimental to the interests of farmers and the local populace.

Sunanda demanded that the Government withdraw both projects immediately and alleged that the Police were scapegoated for the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede incident, which claimed 11 lives, while the real blame lay with the Government’s mismanagement.

KRRS leader Kempugowda echoed similar concerns, recalling that earlier threats to the dam from stone mining were thwarted through public protests.

“Now, the Government wants to spend thousands of crores to conduct ‘Cauvery Aarti’ and build an Amusement Park, which again endangers the Dam. These plans must be dropped for the sake of safety,” he urged. He further alleged that the project, originally titled ‘Disney Land’, was renamed as an Amusement Park to mislead the public and facilitate large-scale misuse of funds.

Writer Harihara Priya also addressed the gathering. Members of Mandya Zilla Raitha Hitarakshana Samithi, KRRS, DSS, Jayakarnataka Organisation, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and other groups participated in the protest. Farmer leaders M.B. Naganna Gowda, Jayaram, RTI activist K.R. Ravindra, Manjesh Gowda, KR Gram Panchayat President Jayanthi, member Manjunath and others were present.

Darshan Puttannaiah backs farmers

Amid the growing opposition in Mandya district, Melukote MLA and farmer leader Darshan Puttannaiah has also declared his opposition to the Government’s plans for the ‘Cauvery Aarti’ and Amusement Park at KRS Dam.

Speaking to the media persons at the Mandya Zilla Panchayat premises recently, Darshan, son of the late MLA and prominent farmer leader K.S. Puttannaiah, extended his support to the ongoing agitation. He pointed out that farmers had strongly opposed the projects during a meeting chaired recently by Mandya District In-charge Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy.

Darshan Puttannaiah said he has been against the proposals from the outset and criticised the Government for not educating farmers and locals about the pros and cons. He asserted that the safety of KRS Dam, which is the lifeline for people in Mysuru, Mandya and Bengaluru districts, should be the top priority, especially when tail-end farmers in Mandya struggle to get water through canals.

Urging the Government to withhold the projects, the MLA demanded detailed discussions and transparent debates before any decision is taken.