Srirangapatna, April 19 -- If water is only meant for drinking, how can authorities allow this illegality, question farmers

Amidst a severe drinking water crisis in the Cauvery belt, including Kodagu, Mysuru, Mandya and Bengaluru, due to dwindling water levels at the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam, cases of water theft are emerging from the Dam. Continuous pumping of water from the Dam is observed to fill water tankers for carrying out development and modernisation works for the Visvesvaraya Canal (VC Canal).

Typically, water is pumped with two to three diesel motors into three to five tankers simultaneously, which transport it to the site of the canal works.

These tankers make multiple trips within one hour, returning to the Dam after e...