Cauvery Row : Karnataka hit by bandh , schools, offices shut CM Siddaramaiah urges PM Modi to intervene
BANGALURU : A bandh or shutdown to protest against the release of Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu has brought Karnataka to a complete halt on Friday. In Bengaluru, schools and colleges are closed along with most major IT offices.The Karnataka Chief Minister has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his urgent intervention. The CM told PM that release of water as per honourable Supreme Court’s order has caused greater unrest and disquiet among public, farmers across the state.
People who reached the city from distant places and those travelling towards the airport are facing difficulties in reaching their destination with no mode of connectivity. Educational institutions have declared a holiday today. Attendance at government offices was comparatively less today as officials had informed that it will not be “compulsory” to work today. While some private companies have declared a holiday today, others are making alternate arrangements for employees to “work from home”.
Petrol bunks, hotels, malls and other commercial establishments remained shut, besides banks services were also hit. Karnataka Cable Operators Association which is supporting the strike has said Tamil TV channels will not be aired.
Police fired in the air and used batons or lathis against protesters at the KRS Dam, one of the four dams on the Cauvery.When there is sufficient water, it is released from this dam to help the farmers of the Mandya region, which is the heart of the Cauvery basin and the epicentre of the large protests against sharing water with Tamil Nadu.
On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that Karnataka has to increase the amount of water it releases to Tamil Nadu for 10 consecutive days. In Bengaluru – which largely depends on the Cauvery River for drinking water for its 10 million citizens — most of the IT industry, comprising software majors like Infosys and Wipro and about 400 multinationals, has declared a holiday.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of the Congress has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting a meeting with Jayalalithaa, his counter part in Tamil Nadu. Mr Siddaramaiah says Karnataka’s economy, in particular its world-famous software industry, is being hit by the protests.
Broadcast of Tamil channels has been stopped by cable operators. Film stars like Puneet Rajkumar and Ragini joined the protests in Bengaluru, where the infamous city traffic is off the roads, but demonstrations are being held at major junctions.
People have been advised not to enter Karnataka in vehicles with Tamil Nadu registration numbers, with protesters stationing themselves at the border between the two states.The highway between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka remains virtually sealed and the main freeway linking the cities of Bengaluru and Mysuru is also blocked.
Government schools and colleges are closed to prevent inconvenience to students and teachers. Though government offices are open, attendance is thin because of the absence of public transport.The Bengaluru Metro is not running. There are no airport taxis on the deserted roads of the city and local television channels showed an auto rickshaw driver being beaten this morning for bringing his vehicle out.
