JD(S) sees red as Hemavathi water released to Tumakuru district

NT Correspondent

Hassan: The release of Hemavathi river water to Tumakuru district has become a political flashpoint as JD(S) staged a protest in front of the Hassan Deputy Commissioner’s (DC’s) office on Thursday.

The JD(S) contention is that Hassan district itself was in grave need of water and that release of water to Tumakuru district was not prudent under these circumstances.

The Hemavathi Reservoir Project’s (HRP’s) Irrigation Advisory Committee (IAC) released two thousand million cubic feet (tmfct) of water from the Goruru reservoir near Hassan to the Bugudanahalli storage point and other drinking water projects in Tumakuru districts on Tuesday.

The State government ordered that there shouldn’t be any leakage through the left bank canal of the reservoir. This caused the Hassan district administration to impose prohibitory orders.

The protests were being led by MLAs HD Revanna, HP Swaroop, CN Balakrishna and MP Prajwal Revanna.

HD Revanna even warned that if water was not released to farmers of Hassan district, the JD(S) would stage a protest at the reservoir.

JD(S) state president Kumaraswamy claimed that Hemavathi water was being released to Tumakuru to divert attention from the State government allegedly secretly releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

Interestingly, some Congress leaders from Channarayapatna taluk in Hassan district also staged a protest against the release of water to neighbouring Tumakuru. Former MLA GA Gopalaswamy was among the demonstrators.