Simultaneously, the state government also intends to approach the Cauvery Supervisory Committee and try to convince them of their shortage in water levels and also file a petition in the court seeking modification of the directive of releasing 15,000 cusecs every day for 10 days.
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Activists of pro-Kannada group Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, resorted to rail-roko in Belagavi and Bengaluru.
“We will give our blood but not Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu”. The state’s principal opposition BJP has also supported Karnataka bandh.
In contrast, political parties in Tamil Nadu welcomed the apex court’s decision and expressed hope that the court will ensure full justice by ensuring adequate water from the Cauvery in accordance with the river water tribunal’s order.
A solution may lie in forming a Cauvery Management Board, like in Bhakra Beas, to take over operations of all Cauvery dams and direct how much water is released downstream even in distress years.
The district authority was forced to declare holiday for schools and colleges in the town, about 100 km from here, due to protesters staging massive rallies and demonstrations, blocking vehicular traffic on the Bengaluru-Mysuru state highway. “The unrest if continued will not only have a serious impact on the economy of the State particularly the IT economy which brings enormous revenue and foreign exchange to the country but will also impact the livelihood of the common man adversely in the large parts of the State”, he said.
Karnataka shut down on Friday to protest against the release of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu, with hundreds of IT firms and multinationals crippled in India’s technology hub Bengaluru. Samiti leaders also talked about the Kalasa-Banduri row and asked the state government to take a delegation to meet the heads of Goa and Maharashtra.
President of the Advocates’ Association of Mysuru Chandramouli found fault with the feedback provided by state government officials to senior counsel Fali S Nariman, who is arguing Karnataka’s case in the Supreme Court.
Mock funerals of state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Jayalalithaa were conducted in Bengaluru, Mandya, Davangere and Tumakuru.
Though about 2,400 police personnel were deployed to maintain law and order, the angry protesters comprising farmers, traders and youth damaged the district office of the ruling Congress and attacked the state public works department office.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made to maintain law and order in the state.
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The Supreme Court had ordered release of 15,000 tmcft of water toTamil Nadu following a plea by the neighbouring state.
