Cauvery water issue is once again in the limelight after the Water Regulation Committee directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu.As a reaction, the pro- kannada groups planning Karkataka bandh.
Bengaluru: Pro-Kannada organisations are preparing to call for a Karnataka bandh in protest against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, with Kannada Chaluvali leader Vatal Nagaraj expected to announce the date for the shutdown.
The move comes after the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days,triggering protests by Kannada groups and farmers'organisations across Bengaluru, Mandya and Mysuru.
Karnataka Rakshana Vedike President Praveen Shetty said all organisations, including farmers'bodies, labour unions, dalit groups and political parties, should come together to hold a statewide bandh and send a strong message to the Centre.
In a video message, Shetty accused the Centre of adopting a "double standard" in the Cauvery dispute and claimed that Karnataka itself was facing water shortages.
Meanwhile, protests against water release have intensified in several parts of the state, with activists demanding that the government reconsider its decision. Vatal Nagaraj is expected to announce the bandh date after consultations with various organisations.
The Cauvery dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has remained a recurring flashpoint, with both states asserting their claims over the river's waters, especially during periods of low reservoir levels.
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