Passengers stranded as bus services hit.
Passengers stranded as bus services hit.
As agitations intensified in Karnataka in the wake of the Supreme Court order to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, political parties in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday demanded that the Siddaramaiah government comply with the directive, even as inter-state bus services were hit for the second day.
Tamil Manila Congress chief G.K. Vasan urged the Karnataka government to immediately release 15 TMC feet of Cauvery water for irrigation. Speaking to reporters in Tiruchirappalli, he said Karnataka should not “enact the drama of farmers agitation to deny water to Tamil Nadu.”
He demanded that chief minister Jayalalithaa lead an all party delegation to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“We urge the government to lead a delegation to Delhi. But the chief minister is indifferent”, he alleged.
PMK chief Ramadoss told reporters in Cuddalore district that Karnataka should comply with apex court orders and not go to the extent of a former chief minister of that state, who had to apologise in the Supreme Court after water was not released in accordance with its verdict years ago.
P. Ayyakannu, National South Indian Rivers Inter-Linking Farmers Association, said water supply for at least 80 days should be ensured to save the samba crop.
“Tamil Nadu government should move the apex court seeking action against Karnataka as it has not complied with its orders and Cauvery Tribunal Award,” he told PTI.
DMK president M. Karunanidhi had earlier in the day said that “the Supreme Court order directing 15,000 cusecs for 10 days is certainly not enough for samba crops.”
For the second day on Tuesday, bus and truck services between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were affected. Bus services to various destinations in Karnataka originating from Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Erode, Tirupur and Coimbatore districts were stopped in towns, including Hosur, Sathyamangalam and Bannari bordering Karnataka.
However, some Karnataka State Transport Corporation buses were operated from Tamil Nadu.
Also, private cars, vans and taxis and trucks with Karnataka registration were operated. Huge crowds could be seen in all the few buses that were operated.
Truck operators in Erode district suspended booking of goods to Karnataka from Monday night.
Meanwhile, a top Tamil Nadu police official in Chennai said adequate police personnel have been deployed in Tamil Nadu-Karnataka borders.
To a question on bus services being hit, he said, “passengers were stranded nowhere,” adding that movement of vehicles was being coordinated by police.
“Our SPs in bordering areas (with Karnataka) are in touch with their counterparts,” he told PTI adding after getting inputs on agitations and the situation in the neighbouring state, vehicle movement was being facilitated.
The Supreme Court had on Monday directed Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu over the next 10 days to save Samba crops.
Tamil Nadu had sought release of 50.52 tmc feet of water. VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan in a statement said the quantum of water ordered by the court was “too low.”
Shops, hotels and other commercial establishments and theatres and hotels remained shut and schools and colleges declared a holiday in Mandya district where state run and private buses were also off the roads.
Protests are also being held by farmers in Mysuru and Hassan districts, fed by the Cauvery, demanding that Karnataka should not release water.
