Summary:
MYSURU: Karnataka released water to Tamil Nadu from the Cauvery, over and above the quota fixed for the month of June.According to officials of the state water resources department, Karnataka was supposed to release 21.25tmcftof water in June, but it released 28.5tmcft of water. According to Kodihalli Chandrashekar, president of Rajya Raitha Sangha, water was released only in a couple of canals till now. "Farmers want the state government to release water to all canals with immediate effect,” he said.Former water resources minister M B Patil has appealed to Kumaraswamy to utilize the water from Krishna in North Karnataka and also to fill neighbouring water tanks in view of the drought. “Following good rain in Maharashtra, Krishna is in spate across North Karnataka, and the state government should make the best use of it to help droughthit farmers,” Patil said. The state government is likely to finalize the crop pattern for the Cauvery basin areas, and is likely to continue a ban on water-intensive crops, sources added.However, farmers want the state government to release water to all canals at the earliest..