Cauvery issue: Normal life hit by Karnataka bandh

Opposition DMK in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday said the quantum of water release as directed by Supreme Court from Cauvery River was “not enough” and urged the AIADMK government to spell out its next course of action in this issue involving neighbouring Karnataka.

“The government can not take shelter under the Supreme Court’s order”. All KSRTC bus services towards Mysore were suspended on Tuesday as protesters have blocked the highway connecting Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

In Mandya in southern Karnataka, which is in the Cauvery basin, a complete shutdown has been enforced by the farmers against the court verdict.

Officials confirmed that water was being let out since last midnight, shortly after the all-party meeting called by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The apex court also directed Tamil Nadu to approach the supervisory committee within three days for the release of Cauvery water as per the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s (CWDT).

“It is the lawful duty of the Centre to resolve the Cauvery issue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu”.

The chief minister said that it would be hard for a Constitution-bound state to deny the order of the Supreme Court or to refuse the release of water of the river.

Asked why the two riparian states which are at loggerheads could not negotiate on the crisis, the sources said such attempts were made by Karnataka in the past but Tamil Nadu was not in its favour.

With the four reservoirs in the Cauvery basin having around 50 tmcft water, the release of water to TN over the next ten days would take away as much as 13tmcft, leaving the state struggling to meet the drinking water needs of districts in the Old Mysuru region including Bengaluru.

“We will not release water to Tamil Nadu, come what may”, Kannada Chalavali Vatal Paksha President Vatal Nagaraj said in Bengaluru. We have to oblige to their orders.

Effigies of Siddaramaiah, Jayalalithaa and Karnataka’s Water Resources Minister M.B. Patil were also burnt at several places by activists of the pro-Kannada Rakshana Vedike (Protection Forum of local people).

Deploying additional police personnel, the state government has tightened security, stepped up vigil and intensified patrolling to maintain peace and law and order.

Shops, hotels and other commercial establishments and theatres and hotels remained shut and schools and colleges declared a holiday in Mandya district where state run and private buses were also off the roads.

In Bengaluru, BJP corporators led by former Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka and “Kannada Okkoota” held demonstrations.