BENGALURU, June 26 -- Chief minister D K Shivakumar said on Thursday that Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana had reached a consensus to protect the interests of farmers in the Tungabhadra river basin, as the state inaugurated 33 newly replaced spillway gates at the Tungabhadra reservoir.

Speaking at a public function at the Government High School grounds in Munirabad, Shivakumar said discussions among the three states had centred on securing irrigation for farming communities and preserving water in the reservoir.

"We discussed how to safeguard and protect farming families, including the appeal submitted by farmer leaders regarding saving the 33 TMC of water in this dam. After lengthy discussion on all the options, including the Na...