Flights at Bengaluru airport were affected as Karnataka Rakshana Vedike activists protested at the departures gate at Bengaluru airport.
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With buses, taxis and autos staying off roads, movement of people and goods halted in many cities and towns in the southern state, officials said.
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.
Speaking to media after the Congress State Coordination Committee meeting on Thursday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that Nariman had not consulted them about submitting to the Supreme Court about the goodwill gesture of releasing some water.
The state government has lent tacit support to the strike as chief minister Siddaramaiah announced that schools, colleges and government offices were likely to remain shut on Friday. Chief Minister assured that the government would approach the Supreme Court with a modification petition, explaining its difficulties in implementing its order. This is the second bandh that the state is bracing for in less than a week’s time and the fourth this year.
Though the Tribunal order states that from June 2016 to September 2016 ( September 5, 2016) Tamil Nadu should get 100.670 tmcft of water, so far flow realised at Billigundlu was just 35.91 tmcft, a shortage of 64.75 tmcft, Tamil Nadu claimed.
They asked the state BJP members to have talks with the state governments of both the states which are being ruled by BJP and its allies.
“We will request the court to reconsider its order to release 15, 000 cusecs of water for a period of 15 days”, he added.
Karnataka Cable Operators Association has made a decision to express its support for the bandh and the pro-Karnataka stance by refusing to air any Tamil TV channels.
Multiple bike and truck rallies blocked the highway for most part of the morning-with several photography sessions punctuating sloganeering and protests-while burning of tyres hiked temperatures post lunch.
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Opinions were expressed that the SC’s order would have been different if the report of experts on ground realities in the Cauvery basin was available to the Supreme Court. Police commissioner NS Megharik told CNN-News 18 that one unit of the Rapic Action Force (RAF), 36 platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP), 30 units of Armed Reserve Forces (RAF) and 260 Hoysala units will be deployed across the city to control the law and order situation.
