With support from over 170 organisations Bengaluru bandh likely to halt city on September 26

Farmers across Karnataka have been protesting since the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) ordered the state to release 5000 cusecs of water to its neighbouring state Tamil Nadu, for 15 days, effective from September 13.

Bengaluru: More than 175 organizations have declared their support for the Bengaluru bandh called by various farmers’ and pro-Kannada organisations on September 26 to protest against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, said Kuruburu Shanthakumar, State President of State Sugarcane Growers Association.

State Sugarcane Growers Association is one of the main organisations that first called the bandh. Since opposition parties have lent their support to the bandh, and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the government would not try to scuttle it, it is likely to be total. “More than 175 organizations have declared their support for the Bengaluru bandh on September 26. The bandh will be successful,” Shanthakumar said.

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When asked about the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s statement that the strike will spoil the “beauty” of Bengaluru he said: “In the past, they(Congress) too protested (on Cauvery issue) but theirs was a protest motivated by politics. Cauvery water has already flowed into Tamil Nadu causing injustice to the people of Karnataka.” During the bandh, public transport is likely to be disrupted as the KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation and taxi unions in the city have declared their support for it.

Meanwhile, AAP State President Mukhyamantri Chandru urged the government employees to support the bandh “Government employees should also participate in the protest.If government employees participate in the protest, the attention of the state and central government can be drawn. The government should work with us,” Chandru said.

Farmers across Karnataka have been protesting since the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) ordered the state to release 5000 cusecs of water to its neighbouring state Tamil Nadu, for 15 days, effective from September 13.

On Saturday, Karnataka’s Mandya district witnessed a bandh called by various farmers’ and pro-Kannada organisations. A bench of Justices BR Gavai, PS Narasimha and Prashant Kumar Mishra on Thursday while refusing to interfere in the Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu said both CWMA and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) are regularly meeting and monitoring the water requirements every 15 days.

The court declined to entertain an application filed by the Tamil Nadu government to increase its current share of Cauvery water from 5,000 to 7,200 cusecs per day.
Tamil Nadu has sought fresh directions for the release of Cauvery River water from Karnataka, claiming that the neighbouring State had changed its stand, and had released a reduced quantum of water as against what was agreed upon earlier.