Cauvery dispute: Bengaluru bandh draws partial response; public transport largely unaffected

Protests were held at Town Hall, Freedom Park, and Mysuru Bank Circle with slogans like 'Cauvery is ours' and 'We will give blood but not Cauvery'.

The dawn-to-dusk Bengaluru bandh on September 26, called by farmers and pro-Kannada groups demanding that the Karnataka government stop the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, has evoked a partial response.

With the state government declaring a holiday for educational institutions in Bengaluru and offices allowing employees to work from home due to the bandh call, the city witnessed sparse traffic. There were also fewer app-based cabs and auto-rickshaws plying on the roads.

There have been no major untoward incidents reported in the city so far. Protests were held at Town Hall, Freedom Park, and Mysuru Bank Circle with slogans like 'Cauvery is ours' and 'We will give blood but not Cauvery'.

Police detained scores of pro-Kannada activists in places like Town Hall. Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda said that prohibitory orders under Section 144 are in place, and protests are allowed only at Freedom Park.

Meanwhile, passengers at Kempegowda International Airport faced hardships after IndiGo cancelled 10 flights scheduled for September 26 at the last minute. IndiGo cancelled flights from Bengaluru to destinations such as Hyderabad, Kannur, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Chennai, Mangaluru, and Mumbai. IndiGo is unavailable for comment.

In fact, airlines including Akasa Air had asked passengers to arrive at the airport at least three hours prior to the departure of their flights.

Although the AITUC-backed KSRTC Staff & Workers Federation, a major union, extended support to the bandh, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) services remained largely unaffected. BMTC operated its services at a reduced frequency due to lower footfall.

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) operated Metro services as usual, but footfall at stations was low. Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation suspended several inter-city services from Bengaluru citing lack of passengers.

While most shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, and other shops and establishments on arterial roads were shut, it was business as usual in residential areas. In places like Brigade Road, protestors forcefully shut down shops.

Bus services from Tamil Nadu towards Karnataka were disrupted, with several buses from Tamil Nadu being stopped at the border. Opposition parties, including BJP, JDS, Aam Aadmi Party, and others have also extended their support for the bandh.

While pro-Kannada groups are united against releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, they are divided over the bandh. Pro-Kannada activist and former MLA Vatal Nagaraj, who called for a state-wide bandh on September 29, has announced that they will not participate in the Bengaluru bandh called by Water Conservation Committee President Kurubur Shanthakumar.

Also read: Cauvery issue: Bengaluru bandh on September 26 to disrupt normal life; Karnataka bandh on September 29