TRICHY: Farmers in Trichy engaged in an unexpected way as a token of protest against Karnataka and the central government demanding Cauvery water release from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu. Farmers held rats in their mouths to mark their protest over the ongoing dispute with Karnataka.

National South Indian River Interlinking Farmers' Association's Tamil Nadu unit president Ayyakannu is leading the protest in Trichy.

The protestors demanded the sharing of Cauvery water to save the standing ‘kuruvai’ crop cultivation in TN.

Earlier, a group of farmers in Trichy on Sunday had staged a protest in Cauvery River water over the ongoing dispute with Karnataka. The farmers were demanding the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, the farmers in Karnataka's Mandya are protesting to stop water from being released from Karnataka dams to Tamil Nadu.

Farmers across Karnataka have been protesting since the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) ordered the state to release 5000 cusecs of water to its neighbouring state Tamil Nadu, for 15 days, effective from September 13.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai, PS Narasimha and Prashant Kumar Mishra on Thursday while refusing to interfere in the Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu said both CWMA and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) are regularly meeting and monitoring the water requirements every 15 days.

The court declined to entertain an application filed by the Tamil Nadu government to increase its current share of Cauvery water from 5,000 to 7,200 cusecs per day.

There were widespread protests in Karnataka as well with the capital city Bengaluru observing a bandh over the Cauvery Water Management Authority asking Karnataka to release 5000 cusecs of water till September 28.

Karnataka CM Siddaramiah appealed to all parties to not do politics on the issue. 

"It's most unfortunate that BJP and JDS both are doing politics in Cauvery issue. It's just because for politics, not for the people of the state or the people, when they said we'll call for bandh, they have all the right to call the bandh. But there is a SC verdict regarding this. When we exercise our fundamental rights, others shouldn't be disturbed, that's what SC said," Siddaramiah said. 

"So far there is no distress formula has been implemented. We are been praying for the distress formula in the Cauvery water sharing issue. SC or CWMA have not given a distress formula solution, whenever there is less rain, there should be a distress formula to share water. One more solution is the Mekedaatu project which can save up to 70 TMC of water which benefits both states," the Karnataka Chief Minister added.