In the wake of severe fall in rainfall the Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged the farmers of Cauvery belt not to cultivate paddy and sugarcane as there is severe scarcity for drinking water. The two crops especially need more water for cultivation. This is a strict order from the government.

The state irrigation department has been advised to look into flow of water from four dams for the purpose of cattle feeding and drinking water. The rainwater based crops the farmers are intending to grow there is no objection mentioned the chief minister in his address to media.

The water from KRS, Kabini, Hemavathi and Harangi water flows to different lakes in a required quantity. In the last 46 years such a drastic drop in rain water has not taken place. In the four dams it is 45 TMC of water. It is 8 TMC less compared to last year. The inflow is also very less. The rain in these regions were much below the expectations observes chief minister Siddaramaiah.

The farmers in Cauvery belt region are fully upset with this stand of the Karnataka state government. At the media meet of chief minister, Mandya in charge minister of Housing M Krishnappa, agriculture minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Mandya MLA and actor Dr Ambarish, MP Puttaraju, legislators Cheluvarayaswami, Narendraswamy, Puttanaiah, Ramesh Bandi Sidde Gowda, Sri Kante Gowda were present.