Karnataka will shout down today after a strike called by hundreds of farmers to protest against a Supreme Court direction to release Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu is likely to hit normal life. “Whatever Fali Sam Nariman is doing is doing, is in favour of Jayalalithaathat is why we have given a condition to the state government to suspend Nariman”, said a protestor.
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Schools and colleges have declared a holiday today and attendance at government offices will not be compulsory.
All the major markets in the city including KR Market, Yeshwantpur Market and Kalasipalyam Market remain closed. No auto-rickshaws, cabs or government buses can be found on the roads. People are left stranded in bus stands as no public transport is available. Police even arrested a few activists from pro-Karnataka organisations who tried to enter the departure terminal of the Kempegowda International Airport and the railway station in Bengaluru.
It may be noted that on an average, 51 buses take trips between Tamilnadu and Karnataka, but post the protests and subsequent bandh, at least ten buses may call off services due to poor patronage.
BBMP employees have resolved to keep off work. They had also announced intentions to block feeder canals to prevent water being given to Tamil Nadu.
Vehicular movement between Bengaluru and Mysuru crippled as well as the highway was blocked at several places in Mandya district, the epicentre of the stir. In Ballari, three lorries bearing Tamil Nadu registrations were stoned by protesters.
The other strategy would be to hand in a reply to the Cauvery Supervisory Committee at a time when it is contemplating to send an experts’ team to assess the ground situation, Mr Siddaramaiah told the media on Thursday after reviewing security measures for the state-wide bandh on Friday.
“As we can not defy a constitutional body like the Supreme court, with a heavy heart we have made a decision to release the water as directed by the apex court”, states Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister, Karnataka. 36 Karnataka State Reserve Police, 30 City Armed Reserve platoons and one company Rapid Action Force have been deployed.
Extra forces have been deployed with two companies each from Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, one from Maharashtra and 10 companies of central forces, police said.
The protests over water had started in Karnataka’s Mandya district on Monday after the Supreme Court ordered the state to release 15,000 cusecs of water for the next 10 days.
He said that it is not practicable to accept the SC verdict and that not a drop water can be released.
“We are going explain our plight and shortage of water to the Supreme Court”.
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Police said the sick farmers were treated as outpatients and discharged.
