Bengaluru/Mysuru/Mandya: Kannada organizations led by Vatal Nagaraj have called for Karnataka bandh on September 9 to protest against the Supreme Court order to release 15000 cusecs (1.36 tmc) water daily over next ten days.

Kannada  film chamber led by its president Sa.Ra. Govindu has already extended his support to the proposed bandh. Challenging Star Darshan stepped out of his ‘Chakravarthi’ film shooting in support of agitating farming community.

In the meantime high-level cabinet meeting is scheduled to take place at Vidhana Soudha in the aftermath of SC verdict and to decide the future course of action. SC decision to ‘live and let live’ has posed serious problems to the state chief minister who on one side has to abide by the court order and at the other end has to keep the farmers in Cauvery basin, mainly in Mandya district happy.

Karnataka facing deficient rainfall has less than10 tmc water to cater for irrigation needs of TN. With less than 50 tmc water available, 40 tmc is required for irrigation and drinking water needs of the state till the onset of next monsoon. In the crisis situation if almost 14 tmc is released in next 10 days then the water table in the reservoirs will be in red causing lot of problems to the farming community in the near future.

Law enforcing agencies are kept on high alert in sensitive areas. Chief Minister Siddarmaiah has appealed to people to maintain peace and harmony and not resort to violence.

Protests across southern Karnataka gain momentum

Agitators climbed mobile towers with empty plastic pots to express their displeasure over SC verdict. They demanded that the state government should protect the interests of the state and not allow water to flow through its dams.

In other parts of the state effigies of TN chief minister Jayalalitha and Karnataka Counsel in SC Fali.S.Nariman were burnt by protesters to vent their anger.

Protesters burnt tyres and blocked Mysuru-Bangalore highway in the state on September 6th against the Supreme Court’s order to release more water from the river Cauvery to neighboring Tamil Nadu. State owned KSRTC had to pull out around 700 buses plying on TN and Kerala routes.

Schools and colleges are closed for 2 days in Mandya district considering Mandya being the heartland of agitations.

Report from TN

There are few incident of stone pelting on Karnataka Rajahamsa buses in TN. It is learnt protesters in Hosur blocked vehicles plying from TN towards Karnataka.