Chennai/Bengaluru, 23 June

Dozens of farmers in Tamil Nadu’s Mambazha Salai near Tiruchirappalli protested against Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu dam on the Cauveri river by burying their bodies in the sand on the river banks on Tuesday.

Led by Ayyakannu, President of the National South Indian Rivers Inter-Linking Farmers Association, the farmers shouted "Save the farmers" and "Do not construct the Mekedatu dam". They also stood neck deep in the water.

“If the Mekedatu dam is built, the remaining six lakh acres of cultivable land in Tamil Nadu could be severely impacted, leading to further agricultural decline,” Ayyakannu told the press. “Farmers will continue their protest for the next ten days if the (Tamil Nadu) governments fail to intervene and protect their interests."

The proposed project involves constructing a dam on the Cauvery River near its confluence with the Arkavathi River in the Ramanagara district at Kanakapura, the hometown of Karnataka Chief Minister Shivakumar. It aims to provide drinking water to Bengaluru city and produce 400 MW of electricity.