From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Apr 27: With farmers, Kannada Chaluvaligars and Karnataka Rakshana Vedike activists staging protests against the State Government for releasing Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu even as the farmers in the State were reeling under drought conditions, Karnataka Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda has clarified that not a single drop of water has been released from the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) dam to Tamil Nadu.

The Chief Minister, who spoke to reporters at his home office Krishna, refuted reports published in a section of the press about the release of water from KRS dam to Tamil Nadu.

''Water is being released to Chikadevaraja channel to ensure drinking water to the people of villages in Mandya district,” he said.

Sadananda Gowda declared that water would not be released to Tamil Nadu till sufficient quantity of water was stored at the reservoir.

The government was committed to protecting the interests of the State’s farmers, he said.

Karnataka has been facing severe drought and already 123 taluks have been declared as drought-hit. The government has not released water to Tamil Nadu and the farmers need not panic, he said.

The Chief Minister explained that some repairs work was under progress in the catchment area of the Cauvery belt in the State and water might have flown into the canal due to leakage.

Dismissing allegations that he was avoiding visiting the jinxed Chamarajanagar town, the Chief Minister said that he was visiting only the drought-affected areas in the district and that there was no discrimination in choosing the places of visit.