Mysore/Mysuru: Following protests from members of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) in front of the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited office recently, demanding the immediate release of River Cauvery water to the VC Canal, the Engineers of Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam in Mandya have released water to the Canal, North Gate.

The decision to release water came after copious rains in Kodagu district and the water release from the Harangi Dam, which will eventually reach the KRS Dam. The water level at KRS is rising as a result.

Starting from last evening, water is being released to all the canals of the KRS Dam to help farmers save their standing crops as well as cultivate new crops.

Earlier, the farmers expressed concerns that the standing crops in the Cauvery basin were on the verge of drying up due to the lack of adequate water supply. They complained that the authorities were not releasing water despite the water level being at a comfortable level.

Crops cultivated on lakhs of hectares are now ready for harvesting.

At this critical stage, the failure to provide water could result in significant losses for the farmers, who stand to lose their crops. In response, the farmers set a week’s deadline for the release of water. If the authorities fail to meet this deadline, the farmers threatened to intensify their protest further.