Karnataka Bandh Over Cauvery Water Release to Tamil Nadu

The Karnataka bandh called by pro-Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj against the release of 12,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu on Thursday evoked a mixed response, with intense protests in Mandya and preventive detentions at several places, while life remained unaffected in major urban centers like Bengaluru and Mysuru.

The bandh has been called by the Federation of Kannada organisations led by Vatal Nagaraj, in protest against the directions of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and



the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to release water to Tamil Nadu.

Protesters have urged the Karnataka government not to release any further water, citing the state's own drinking-water and agricultural requirements. In Mandya, the epicentre of the Cauvery agitation, farmers and pro-Kannada organisations staged protests at Sanjay Circle and other locations. Protesters carried empty pots and horse gram, shouting slogans such as "Our water, our right", and blocked the Bengaluru-Mysuru old highway.