BJP functionaries being arrested by police while blocking the highway on Tuesday on the outskirts of Davanagere
He said the protesters were not opposed to supplying water to Chitradurga, but questioned the decision to allocate 3 tmcft without convening the Irrigation Advisory Committee. The demonstrators said they would not leave until the government announced water release for fields dependent on the reservoir.
Former minister MP Renukacharya said drought had severely affected paddy, sugarcane and arecanut crops, leaving farmers distressed. The protesters, who gathered on the outskirts of the city, accused the state government of neglecting drought-hit farmers while supplying water to Chitradurga district through the upper-level canal. They first staged a sit-in on one side of the national highway and later attempted to cook on the service road as part of the agitation. Police objected and seized the cooking materials, triggering arguments and resentment among the workers. A large police contingent then moved in and took the protesters into custody. Former MLA Basavaraj Naik, BJP Kisan Morcha district president Chandrashekhar Pujar and other party leaders participated in the protest. They demanded immediate action, warning that crop losses would deepen without reservoir water.
Davanagere : BJP functionaries and workers were detained after a highway blockade near Bada Cross escalated during a protest over the release of Bhadra reservoir water to the command area on Tuesday.