Cauvery water dispute leads to Bengaluru Bandh by farmer groups
The Bengaluru bandh leads to schools, colleges, government offices, banks, and ATMs remaining shut. Public and private transport is also affected.
Business streets in Bengaluru don a deserted look on Tuesday after a strike call over Cauvery water release dispute.
Bengaluru is observing a bandh on Tuesday due to the Cauvery water dispute. The bandh has been called by many organisations and farmer groups to protest against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
The bandh is expected to have a significant impact on life in Bengaluru. Schools, colleges, government offices, banks, and ATMs are expected to be closed. Public and private transport is also likely to be affected.
Many business streets in the city don a deserted look after the bandh was called by many organisations and farmers. The city police are on high alert and implementing stringent security measures to prevent any untoward incidents. Transport services are expected to be disrupted as both the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation Staff and Workers Federation and the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation have supported the ‘Bengaluru Bandh today.
The Cauvery water dispute is a long-standing conflict between the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over sharing the Cauvery River water. The Supreme Court has issued a number of orders on the issue, but the dispute remains unresolved.
The Karnataka Jala Samrakshana Samiti, a collective of farmers’ associations and allied organisations called for a Bengaluru bandh. Opposition parties such as the BJP and AAP have extended their support to the bandh.
Section 144 has been enforced in the city. Authorities have reemphasized that no bandhs, protests, or processions will be permitted in compliance with instructions from the Supreme Court and Karnataka High Court.
All educational institutions in Bengaluru will remain closed. Additionally, another bandh has been announced for September 29, led by Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj under the banner of Kannada Okkuta.
Some farmers also staged a half-naked protest in response to the order by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu.
What is a Cauvery Water Dispute?
The Cauvery water dispute is a longstanding and contentious issue between the southern Indian states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It revolves around the sharing of waters from the Cauvery River, which originates in Karnataka and flows into Tamil Nadu, before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
The conflict arises from the demand for a fair and equitable distribution of the river’s waters to meet the agricultural, domestic, and industrial needs of both states. The river is a lifeline for the agricultural economies of both regions, supporting crops like paddy, sugarcane, and various other staples.
Over the years, negotiations, court rulings, and agreements have attempted to settle the dispute, but it remains a point of contention.
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