Hundreds of farmers were taken into preventive custody after they tried lay siege to Kabini dam in H D Kote taluk on Wednesday protesting against the discharge of water to Tamil Nadu.
As the farmers led by State Sugarcane Growers’ Association Kurubur Shanthkumar had announced on Tuesday that they would storm into the dam to prevent release of water to the neighbouring state, police personnel had been deployed in large numbers at the dam site since Tuesday.
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPc had been clamped to prevent assembly of protestors at the dam site. Some pro-Kannada organisations also gathered outside the dam to protest against the decision to release water.
The police stopped the protestors one km from the dam site, when they tried to make their way towards the dam.
When the protestors tried to breach the barricades, the police personnel arrested the farmers and other protestors and took them in buses to Sargur police station.
Mr. Shanthkumar, while being taken into preventive custody, demanded that water should not be released at any cost and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Water Resources Minister M.B. Patil.
Farmer leader Attahalli Devaraj told The Hindu that a large number of farmers from various parts of Mysuru and Chamarajnagar districts had assembled near the dam site to stage agitation which was thwarted by the police.
