A large number of farmers from Mandya and Mysuru districts were detained on Friday afternoon when they attempted to lay siege to Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS), near Srirangapatna, demanding release of Cauvery and Hemavati waters into canals to save the standing crops. They were later released.
Tension prevailed for sometime as hundreds of farmers tried to break the police security to enter the reservoir premises. The protest was led by Darshan Puttannaiah, Badagalapura Nagendra and other Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene leaders.
According to officials of the Department of Agriculture, farmers had sown crops, including paddy and sugarcane, in at least 10,000 acres across Manyda district. The crops were withering owing to non-release of Cauvery and Hemavati waters from the KRS and Gorur dam in Hassan district, respectively.