Bengaluru, July 31 (IANS) Veteran Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj on Friday announced a statewide Karnataka bandh on August 13 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in protest against the direction to release Cauvery water from Karnataka’s reservoirs to Tamil Nadu.
Addressing the media after a meeting of pro-Kannada organisations, along with prominent leaders in Bengaluru, Vatal Nagaraj said the bandh would be observed across the state, from Belagavi to Karwar and from Mangaluru to Kolar, and appealed to citizens not to oppose the shutdown.
“The bandh will be observed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. across Karnataka. This protest is for the farmers and for protecting the state’s drinking water interests. If water is released to Tamil Nadu, Bengaluru and several parts of Karnataka could face a drinking water crisis,” he said.
Vatal Nagaraj claimed that a wide range of organisations, including farmer groups, student bodies, labour unions, women’s organisations, and government employees’ associations, have extended support to the bandh call.
According to him, the bandh has also received backing from the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, with its president and senior actor Jayamala expressing support for the protest. Hotel associations, truck and auto owners’ associations, corporation employees, and various transport sector organisations are also expected to participate.
He further said malls, theatres, and cab aggregator services are likely to remain shut during the bandh, while discussions would be held with employees’ unions of state-run transport corporations to garner their support.
“Nothing would come out of the all-party meeting called by Chief Minister Shivakumar. The all-party meeting is being held for the sake of it. Farmers and Kannada activists are not invited for the meeting,” he said.
“We will also lay siege to the airport,” he said. However, emergency services won’t be harmed, he clarified.
The bandh call comes amid escalating tensions over the Cauvery water-sharing dispute, with political parties, farmer organisations, and pro-Kannada groups intensifying their opposition to the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s (CWMA) directions on water release.
The Karnataka government has maintained that the state is facing a potential drinking water shortage and has convened an all-party meeting on August 2 to discuss the Cauvery issue and formulate a unified response.
With several organisations reportedly extending support, the proposed bandh is likely to have a significant impact across Karnataka if it goes ahead as planned.
The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directed Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu at a rate of 3,500 cusecs per day for 15 days from July 29; however, Karnataka, facing drought, has filed an appeal against the CWRC’s order before the CWMA.
In a setback to Karnataka, the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), which met in Delhi on Thursday, upheld the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s (CWRC) order that Karnataka should release water to Tamil Nadu at a rate of 3,500 cusecs a day for 15 days.
–IANS
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