Farmers and pro-Kannada activists today stopped all traffic on the busy Bangalore-Mysore highway in protest against yesterday’s Supreme Court order asking Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs of Cauvery water a day to Tamil Nadu for the next 10 days. At many spots at the airports, people were lying down and waiting. Times of India reported that Southwestern Railways had not cancelled any trains but would take a call if there were any forced disruptions to train services. Though government offices are open, attendance is thin because of the absence of public transport. Shops and establishments, markets, petrol bunks, hotels and malls are likley to remain shut, besides banks.
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Speaking to the media after a marathon three-hour meeting with leaders of all parties including MPs and MLAs, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, “It is constitutionally not possible to defy the order of the Apex Court”.
Meanwhile, TB Jaychandra, Karnataka Law Minister, has appealed to the public not to take law and order in their hands and to maintain peace.
“As directed by the apex court, we will also approach the Cauvery Supervisory Committee and present our case for relief, as we are not in a position to release more water to Tamil Nadu due to insufficient water in the reservoirs”, said Siddaramaiah.
Bengaluru, India’s third most populous city, depends exclusively on Cauvery river for drinking water for its 10mn inhabitants. 36 Karnataka State Reserve Police, 30 City Armed Reserve platoons and one company Rapid Action Force have been deployed.
In a gesture of appeasement, Karnataka will also release water today for its own farmers in the Mandya region, the epicenter of the protests and the heart of the Cauvery basin.
The government has declared a holiday for all schools and colleges in Mandya and Mysuru for two days and the pro-Kannada outfits have called for a Karnataka Bandh on Friday, Sept. 9, repeating the last weekend’s saga of 4-day holiday continuously.
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Due to the growing protest, a bandh is being observed in Mandya. “The state-wide shutdown is in protest against the Supreme Court’s order and to express resentment over the state government releasing the Cauvery water when we don’t have it for drinking and irrigation”, said Okkuta president Vatal Nagaraj here.
