Bowing to the apex court’s Monday order, the state began releasing 15,000 cusecs of water daily from early Wednesday from its reservoirs across the river basin for 10 days amid protests and demonstrations by farmers, traders and the youth in the Mysuru region.
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The state police said that protesters destroyed several government offices in Mandya and forced their shut down, while attendance at government offices remained thin.
Transport services- both private and government- through Mysuru and Mandya remained suspended today also.
Karnataka Cable Operators Association has chose to express its support for the bandh and the pro-Karnataka stance by refusing to air any Tamil TV channels.
Several parts of Karnataka including Bengaluru will be completely shut on Friday in protest against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
She expressed hope that the central government would ensure justice to Tamil Nadu by impressing upon Karnataka to honour the court’s judgment and release water.
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.
Schools in the state, which have lost many working days due to such protets, have declared a holiday on Friday across the state.
But thousands of protesters stalled traffic on the highway that connects Bangalore to Mysore and beyond to Ooty in Tamil Nadu and Wayanad in Kerala.
“We r observing Bandh in solidarity with people n farmers of Karnataka who r facing water challenges”.
More than Bharat Bandh, Karnataka Bandh is taken seriously in the state, which comes to standstill.
Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda of the JD (S) will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to discuss the issue and explain Karnataka’s point of view.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra said, “My appeal to the public is that don’t resort to agitation…and keep calm and we will make all efforts to protect the interest of the farmers…”
According to one minister, the plan is to wait for the final hearing on the original petition filed by Karnataka, disputing the Cauvery Tribunal Authority verdict on the quantum of water to be released to TN.
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Meanwhile, the state government has written to the Ministry of Water Resources asking them to constitute an expert committee to have a re-look at the ground situation in Karnataka.
