Protests, Shutdown in Karnataka after order to release Cauvery water

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Sep 06, 2016:  Scores of people blocked a major highway in Karnataka and 700 state-run buses were taken off roads on Tuesday morning in massive protests in the state after it was ordered by the Supreme Court to release water from the river Cauvery to Tamil Nadu.

   

Buses travelling from Bengaluru and Mysuru towards Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been taken off roads after many vehicles were blocked and a bus was damaged in Tamil Nadu.
   
A shutdown has been called in Mandya in southern Karnataka by farmers who are protesting the court order to release water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
   
Schools and colleges in the district have been closed for the day and state transport buses have been stopped on the highway.
   
Mandya, which is 100 km from Bengaluru, is the volatile heartland of the Cauvery basin and the area usually leads in protests on the Cauvery issue.
   
Last week, the Supreme Court told Karnataka to "live and let live" and urged both states to "maintain harmony in the water dispute".
   
The court had been asked by Tamil Nadu to direct Karnataka to release water as was decided in 2007 by a court-appointed tribunal asked to find a solution to the recurring water dispute between the two states.
   

Karnataka says its reservoirs don’t hold enough water due to inadequate rainfall in the catchment area and had offered 10,000 cusecs of water a day. But Tamil Nadu wants more.
  

The Supreme Court has asked Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs every day for the next 10 days until the case is heard again on September 16.
   

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has appealed for peace. He has called for a meeting of political leaders from all state parties in Bengaluru this afternoon.
  

The opposition BJP in Karnataka wants the state government to file a fresh appeal in the Supreme Court.