One person was killed and three others were injured in police firing in Bengaluru as the Cauvery water dispute took a violent turn on Monday following a Supreme Court order to Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of water from the river to Tamil Nadu till September 20. The court had, on September 5, ordered the state to release 15,000 cusecs a day By late night, curfew was imposed in 16 […]

Why is Karnataka growing water-intensive crops in arid regions? While Karnataka’s farmers are decrying the government’s decision to release water to Tamil Nadu in compliance with the Supreme Court’s direction, a look inwards is also perhaps warranted. Karnataka’s cropping patterns have shifted in at least two major ways in the past four decades, moving away from millets that grow well in arid areas and towards water-intensive crops enabled by irrigation. […]