CH NEWS
RAICHUR
Thousands of farmers staged a politically non-partisan protest in Sindhanur against the Deputy Commissioner’s order to close canals, demanding its withdrawal and restoration of water supply.
The protest was led by MLA Hampanagouda Badarli, former MP K Virupakshappa and former Minister Venkatrao Nadagouda at the main gate of the 36th distributary canal of the Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal, near the upper side of Gandhinagar.
Officials, including Lingasugur Assistant Commissioner Nagendra Babu, Tahsildar Arun H Desai, City Municipal Commissioner Pandurang Itagi, DySP Chandrashekhar G Nayak, Irrigation Department Executive Engineer Satyanarayana Shetty, AEE Dawood Sab and Nagappa, CPI Vinayak and SIs Eriyappa, Mounesh Rathod and Sujatha Nayak, reached the spot and appealed to the protesters to withdraw the agitation.
However, the protest leaders insisted that officials from the Tungabhadra Dam visit the site and provide details about water availability, utilisation and alleged variations in water flow.
Speaking at the protest, Hampanagouda Badarli said the farmers were not opposed to those in downstream areas but questioned the unilateral decision to close the canals.
“We are not against farmers in the downstream areas. How is it justified for the Deputy Commissioner to take a unilateral decision merely because he has the authority? The order should be withdrawn and an ICC meeting should be convened again to take a decision,” he said.
Badarli warned that the Deputy Commissioner and other officials would have to take responsibility for any consequences arising from the closure of the canal.
Former MP K Virupakshappa criticised the decision, saying its pros and cons should have been discussed with elected representatives before the order was issued. “Water should be released based on equal rights. Farmers in our region should not be deprived in the name of downstream farmers,” he said.
Former Minister Venkatrao Nadagouda demanded immediate withdrawal of the order and urged authorities to ensure adequate water supply to farmers.
Badarli alleged that excessive water had been used in the Vaddarahatti section and that thousands of illegal pump sets had been installed. He questioned why strict action had not been taken against them and why only canals in Sindhanur taluk were being targeted for closure.
Nadagouda alleged that water was not being released according to gauge readings and that farmers in the lower reaches of the taluk had not received adequate supplies.
Tungabhadra Reservoir Chief Engineer Manoj Kumar, who reached the protest venue, said officials were required to implement the Deputy Commissioner’s order and sought the protesters’ cooperation.