A file photo of Basavasagar reservoir in Yadgir district of Karnataka.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Farmers got some relief and hope about the survival of standing crops after officials of Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Limited (KBJNL) began releasing water from Basavasagar reservoir in Narayanapur in Hunsagi taluk of Yadgir district in Karnataka to both Narayanapur Right and Left Branch Canals from April 4 midnight.

Official sources said that, as per the direction by the State Government, water was released on April 4 at midnight. “A total of 2.40 tmcft of water (0.80 tmcft on each day) will be released to both canals, and also to Rampur Lift Irrigation Canal in three days,” a source said.

When officials stopped release of water on March 25, farmers, pro-Kannada groups, Dalit organisations and BJP activists led by former MLA Narasimha Nayak held a series of protests. Mr. Nayak met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with a request to release water.

At the same time, Minister Sharanabasappa Darshanapur and legislators Raja Venugopal Naik and Channareddy Patil Tunnur met Deputy Chief Minister D.K. D.K. Shivakumar on this issue.

When there was no immediate action, as farmers expected, Mr. Nayak approached the High Court of Karnataka, Kalaburagi bench, with a writ petition and got a direction to the government to release water from April 4 to 6.

The government challenged the order before a division bench, which stayed the order passed by the single bench on April 4 until April 9.

In a video release, Mr. Darshanapur criticised Mr. Nayak without naming him and said that ‘someone’ had approached the High Court with false information. Hence, the government had to provide proper information with an appeal to get the order stayed.

“The government, Chief Minister and Deputy CM are with the farmers. Therefore, farmers shouldn’t panic, and should use the water properly,” he added.

Earlier, Mr. Nayak had claimed that Mr. Darshanapur and other legislators of the Congress had failed to convince the CM and Deputy CM to release water, and threatened to hold the government responsible for any drastic action by farmers.