Mandya: The Mandya District Farmers Rights Protection Committee on October 29 decided to intensify the on-going agitation demanding immediate stoppage of Cauvery water release to Tamil Nadu by giving a call for indefinite bandh in the district from October 30.

The Committee President, G Madegowda told reporters that at a meeting convened in Mandya, it has been decided to launch indefinite hunger strike from Oct 30 to protest the water release.

He appealed to business community to extend their support to the agitation by observing the bandh.

Madegowda charged the Chief Minister S M Krishna of releasing water despite distress situation faced by farmers and expressed apprehension that, if the water release continued, all the reservoirs in the Cauvery basin will soon become empty.

With the renewed agitation entering the second day in this Cauvery hinterland, more than one thousand farmers staged dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office.

On October 28, as part of its "jail bharo" programme, about 700 farmers courted arrest, but were released later.

Rail and road traffic continued to remain paralysed between Bangalore-Mysore.

PTI