Protest against hemavathi express link canal project; administration agrees to suspend work

G B Jyothi Ganesh. Pic/FacebookK@ Vinay Manjunath; M T Krishnappa. Pic/Facebook@ M TKrishnappa; B Suresh Gowda, BJP MLA

Farmer organisations, opposition BJP and JD(S) on Saturday staged a massive protest against the Hemavathi Express Link Canal Project near Gubbi here, officials said.

The protesters had reportedly reached the project site. Later, they withdrew the protest after the administration assured to halt the project work. Some of the protesters were detained by the police, they said.

MLAs B Suresh Gowda, G B Jyothi Ganesh, and M T Krishnappa participated in the protest. There was heavy police deployment at the spot.
A group of seers from different religious Maths participated in the protest. Raising anti-government slogans, the protesters sat on the roads disrupting traffic. They also resorted to burning tyres and termed the government's plan to divert the Hemavathi canal water to neighbouring Bengaluru South district (Ramanagara) despite public opposition as "unscientific".

The protesters claimed that this project will be detrimental to several taluks of Tumakuru district.

The tahsildar had imposed prohibitory orders in a 10-km radius of the place where work is underway till 6.00 am on June 1.

Speaking to reporters here, BJP MLA Gowda said, the Deputy Commissioner spoke to us and agreed to stop the work and shift the machines that are at work. "We have given a month's time. Today our farmers have shown a sample. Today, just on a call given, farmers gathered from across Tumakuru and expressed their anger through a padayatra (march) by violating the prohibitory orders," he said.

Farmers approached close to the canal work but they were requested by the Superintendent of Police not to take law into their hands. Respecting the law, we adopted a peaceful approach. If the government again decides to go ahead, they will face strong protest, he warned. The BJP MLA urged the government to call an all-party meeting immediately and stop the work.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah speaking to reporters in Bengaluru said, he has spoken to district in-charge Minister G Parameshwara, and asked him to resolve the issue. Parameshwara called the protest nothing but politics.

"The government decided on the canal and approved about Rs 1000-crore funds for the work. When we attempted to begin the work three months ago, BJP opposed it calling it unscientific, subsequently a meeting was held under the leadership of irrigation minister and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar where BJP and JD(S) MLAs were present. It was decided in the meeting to form a technical committee and seek their opinion before taking a decision," he said.

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