Normal life has been disrupted as several unions in Bengaluru are observing a 12-hour bandh on Tuesday (September 26) in response to the Supreme Court’s order to continue releasing 5,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water from the river to Tamil Nadu for the next 15 days, following decisions by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).

The bandh has been called by the ‘Karnataka Jala Samrakshana Samiti’, an umbrella outfit of farmers’ associations and other organisations led by farmer leader Kuruburu Shanthakumar. The police have imposed Section 144 of the CrPC citywide, prohibiting gatherings of more than five people.

Also read: Bengaluru Bandh: Indigo, Vistara among other airlines issue advisories for passengers – Details here

This is the first of the two bands called this week in Karnataka over the water release. Tuesday’s bandh began at 6 am and will continue till 6 pm. A protest rally will also be held in the state capital.

No permission given

Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda said no permission had been given for the bandh and asked the organisers to limit the protest to Freedom Park.

Also read: Cauvery Water Dispute: Supreme Court declines to interfere with CWMA order directing Karnataka to release 5000 cusecs to Tamil Nadu

Opposition parties extend support for bandh

Opposition parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), have expressed their support for the Bengaluru bandh scheduled for today.

On Monday, senior leader BS Yediyurappa said, “On the Cauvery water dispute, we have had detailed discussions and come to a certain decision. The Bengaluru bandh should be successful without any confusion tomorrow.”

Also read:‘Karnataka not in a position to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu’: DK Shivakumar

The JD(S) has also extended support to the Bengaluru bandh. Party leader HD Kumaraswamy said his party will support the bandh call.

Meanwhile, the Congress government in Karnataka has decided not to curtail the protests. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said his government will not curtail the protests and stressed the importance of maintaining peace during the bandh.

What’s open, what’s closed?

To accommodate the bandh, the Bengaluru Urban District administration has declared a holiday for all schools and colleges on Tuesday, and prohibitory orders will be enforced in Bengaluru for 24 hours beginning at midnight.

Metro services in Bengaluru are likely to be unaffected by the bandh call and will continue to function as usual.

Hospitals, nursing homes, medical shops, and emergency services will continue to operate.

Transportation services like buses, cabs, and app-based auto-rickshaws may be interrupted. However, Ola-Uber services will continue to function normally on Tuesday. According to their association, they are not supporting Tuesday’s bandh. However, auto and taxi associations and unions have extended support to Tuesday’s bandh.

The Hotel Owners’ Association has also decided to withdraw support for the bandh tomorrow, citing confusion, and said all hotels and restaurants will be open.

Airlines issue advisories

In light of the bandh being observed in Bengaluru, several airlines have issued advisories for their passengers.

IndiGo has recommended that passengers arrive at the airport at least 2.5 hours before boarding for domestic flights and 3.5 hours before international departures, as travel time to Bengaluru airport may be longer than usual due to the bandh.

Akasa Air has advised passengers to plan for extra travel time and arrive at the airport at least 3 hours before departure, offering rebooking options for affected passengers.

Similarly, SpiceJet has advised passengers to allow sufficient time for their journey and arrive at least 180 minutes before departure to avoid last-minute hassles.

Second bandh on Friday

Another state-wide bandh has been called for September 29 (Friday) under the banner of a pro-Kannada organisation ‘Kannada Okkuta,’ led by activist Vatal Nagaraj.

“What we have called is Akhanda Karnataka bandh (entire Karnataka bandh) on September 29. It will be observed across the state without leaving any district. Our fight is for the entire Karnataka. Kannada Okkuta has organised more than 50 bandhs in the whole state so far,” Nagaraj said.

What is the Cauvery water dispute?

Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have been locking horns over the issue of sharing the water of the Cauvery river for decades.

The recent flare-up is the result of the rejection of the Karnataka government’s petition by the Supreme Court against an order of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) asking Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days from September 13.

The Karnataka government has maintained that it is not in a position to release the water as there are its own needs for drinking water and irrigation.