Members owing allegiance to Desiya Thennindiya Nadhigal Inaippu Vivasayigal Sangam staged a novel protest on Wednesday by partly burying themselves waist deep in the dry Cauvery.
They were protesting against failure of the State government in opening the Mettur dam for irrigation on June 12.
A group of farmers, who came to a bathing ghat near Oyamari crematorium, suddenly entered the river and started burying themselves in the sand. P. Ayyakannu, president of the sangam, was among those who staged the protest. The bare-bodied farmers, burying themselves waist deep, raised slogans against the government for its failure to open the dam.
They raised slogans against the Centre and Karnataka government also to release water to Tamil Nadu as per the Cauvery tribunal award.
They said that the dam was supposed to be opened for irrigation on June 12. But it was not opened as per the regular practice. Moreover, there was no symptom of opening the dam in the near future for kuruvai cultivation. On information, the police rushed to the spot and removed the protesters.