Cauvery protests: Places you should avoid as violence heats up across Karnataka
The protesters raised slogans against PM Narendra Modi and the central government accusing them of "betraying Tamil Nadu's interests" and taking a stand against setting up the board because the matter fell in the domain of Parliament. [Representational Image]IANS

Over 2,000 farmers and workers of several parties were arrested in eight districts following the 48-hour rail blockade protest across Tamil Nadu over the Cauvery water row. The maximum number of arrests were made in Thanjavur district with the figure going above 1,400.

Opposition parties, including the DMK, joined several farmers' organisation on Monday in a "Rail Roko" demonstration demanding that the Central government set up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) to resolve the problem between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

DMK treasurer and Opposition leader MK Stalin led the protests in Chennai and also stopped a train. Protests are also being held in several other parts of the state including the Cauvery delta districts. He led a demonstration in Perambur, while other political workers staged a rail roko demonstration at Thanjavur and Cuddalore. Many workers have also been detained, the Times of India reported.

The Madurai City Police resorted to lathi charge to disperse a crowd that was adamant on staging a rail roko demonstration and tried to enter the railway junction, the Hindu reported. Five people sustained injuries in the lathi charge.

The protesters raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central government accusing them of "betraying Tamil Nadu's interests" and taking a stand against setting up the board because the matter fell in the domain of Parliament, the Financial Express reported.

Meanwhile, a high-level technical team set up by the Supreme Court to inspect the Cauvery basin in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu submitted its report to the apex court on Monday saying that the situation is grim in both the states, ANI reported.

The report stated that the Mandya district in Karnataka was the worst affected with several farmers committing suicide. Forty-two of the 48 talukas located in Karnataka's Cauvery basin are drought-hit and that there was no water for cattle in Tamil Nadu. 

The report further added that scarcity of water has affected standing crops in both sthe tates and that sugarcane farming needs to be discouraged.

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