BELGAUM: Aggrieved farmers reeling from acute shortage of drinking water set a NWKRTC bus on fire near Ainapur, 30km from Athani, on Saturday evening. The condemning the release of 1tmcft water to Jamkhandi taluk recently from Hipparagi barrage and demanding the government to take immediate steps to get releasing water to river Krishna from Maharashtra.

Around 25 farmers stopped the bus on the Ainapur-Mole road and asked passengers to alight. They then surrounded the bus, threw stones, doused it with petrol and set it afire. The bus was heading towards Ainapur from Athani. It was completely gutted.

Speaking to STOI, Athani CPI Basavaraj Yaligar said that all passengers are safe and the situation is under control. The farmers were protesting against the release of 1 tmcft water to Jamkhandi taluk recently from Hipparagi barrage. Drought-hit farmers have been urging the state government to take immediate steps to release water to river Krishna from Maharashtra.

Residents of Ainapur have been on strike since Friday protesting the water crisis. On Saturday, they observed a bandh. Thousands of farmers from Athani, Raibag, Chikkodi and Jamkhandi taluks had been staging a rasta roko on Kudachi bridge since Saturday morning. Tahsildars of Athani and Raibag visited the spot and tried to convince the farmers to withdraw the agitation, but their efforts were in vain. Efforts of assistant commissioner Rudresh Ghali also didn't yield any result.

Farmer leader Uday Mane said they will not leave the place till water reaches Kudachi bridge. Farmer leaders including Allauddin Gavale from Kudachi, Halappa Ghali from Raibag, Balasaheb Patil of Shirgur participated in the agitation. Police personnel alongwith a DySP and two CPIs are camping at the spot.

