Protests continue over release of Cauvery water

Protests rocked the Cauvery

river basin district of Karnataka for the second day today

over release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu with police taking

about 100 people into custody after they squatted on tracks

and detained the Mysore-Shirdi express at Gejjalagere village.People in Mandya, Mysore and Chamarajanagar districts

also protested against the release of water in line with a

Supreme Court directive. The government began releasing water from Krishna Raja

Sagar and Kabini dams early yesterday to ensure flow of 9,000

cusecs of water to the neighbouring state. Police said about 100 people were taken into custody when

they squatted on the tracks and detained the Mysore-Shiradi

express at Gejjalagere village. Vehicular movement on the Bangalore-Mysore road continued

to remain disrupted for the third consecutive day, they said. In Mysore, activists of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike staged

a dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office. Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar had told reporters

yesterday it was "inevitable" for government to release water

to comply with the Apex Court order, but that the state was

committed to protect the interests of farmers. He had also said the state would file a petition before

the Supreme Court, seeking a review of its order asking the

state to honour the Cauvery River Authority directive to

release 9,000 cusecs to Tamil Nadu till Oct 15. Karnataka has already urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,

also the CRA Chairman, to review its Sept 19 order and keep it

in abeyance till the decision was reviewed.