New Delhi, Aug. 3 -- Tamil Nadu farmers staged an unusual protest on the banks of the Cauvery River in Tiruchirappalli on August 2 after burying themselves in sand and seeking the immediate release of Cauvery water for irrigation.

News agency ANI reported that while staging the unusual demonstration, the protesting farmers noted that despite repeated appeals for the release of water to save the Kuruvai crop, the Karnataka government has not released Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. The farmers also accused the CM DK Shivakumar-led government of treating Tamil Nadu as a "drainage state" by only releasing excess water instead of providing the state's rightful share.

The farmers also reiterated their stance on the proposed Mekedatu dam project...