Protests And Shutdowns Grip Bengaluru Over Cauvery Water Dispute

Bengaluru Police have taken individuals associated with pro-Kannada organizations into custody during demonstrations regarding the Cauvery water sharing issue near Attibele, located on the border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In response to the Karnataka Bandh organized by over 2,000 pro-Kannada groups, Section 144 has been enforced in the city until 12 am on Saturday. This restriction was imposed starting from 12 am on Friday, September 29. The bandh, scheduled from 6 am to 6 pm on Friday, includes a protest march from Town Hall to Freedom Park, commencing at 10 am.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that the direction from the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, instructing Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu from Thursday until October 15, would be contested in the Supreme Court. The ongoing protests stem from the Supreme Court's decision on September 21 not to intervene in the Cauvery Water Management Authority's directive to Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu.

With the support of more than 1,900 associations, non-essential shops, particularly in the southern parts of Karnataka, including Bengaluru, are expected to remain closed during the bandh. However, essential services such as hospitals, ambulances, and pharmacies will continue to operate. In light of the Karnataka Bandh, all schools and colleges in Bengaluru will be closed, as announced by Deputy Commissioner of Police B Dayananda on Thursday. Cab aggregators like Ola and Uber have expressed their solidarity with the bandh, and several drivers are anticipated to join the rallies.