Earlier in August, farmers in Davanagere demanded that water from the Bhadra reservoir be released into irrigation canals to protect kharif crops. At a meeting in Davanagere, farmer representatives expressed frustration that they had to repeatedly protest each year to secure irrigation water despite adequate storage being reported in the reservoir. They sought canal water release by August 15 so that agricultural activities and crop cultivation could proceed without further delay. The issue later developed into a wider debate among farmer groups over whether available Bhadra water should be used immediately or conserved for the summer cropping season.
