Bengaluru Bandh: Despite the protest against the release of water to Tamil Nadu that was the focus of the pro-Kannada activists’ strike, several MRP stores and liquor stores in different parts of the city were still open.
Some booze stores were seen open in Bengaluru in videos that circulated online. Some of them had their shutters partially closed, but others appeared to have them totally open.
Bandh or No Bandh.
Liquor shops will continue to function. .#KarnatakaBandh #Bangalore pic.twitter.com/ze4NcIPYeF— Muhammad Wajihulla (@wajihulla) September 29, 2023
Reaction to the Bengaluru Bandh
Bengaluru and other areas of Karnataka saw a sizable turnout on Friday in reaction to the ‘Kannada Okkoota’ organization’s protest against the water release to Tamil Nadu. The Criminal Procedure Code’s Section 144 was applied by the authorities in the Bengaluru Urban, Mandya, Mysuru, Chamarajanagara, Ramanagara, and Hassan districts, restricting meetings and announcing the day’s suspension of courses in schools and institutions.
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Reason for the latest escalation of protests
The ongoing dispute over water release quotas between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka is what sparked the demonstration. Karnataka suggested a smaller number of 8,000 cusecs for the same period of time while Tamil Nadu insisted on the release of 10,000 cusecs of water over 15 days. Karnataka defended its stance by pointing to the Cauvery catchment area’s decreased precipitation, particularly at Kodagu, the source of the Cauvery, where a 44% deficit in rainfall was observed from June to August.
Tamil Nadu petitioned the Supreme Court to force Karnataka to provide 24,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water from its reservoir in order to enforce their demand. Due to water scarcity in the Cauvery basin region during this year’s monsoon season, Karnataka argued before the Supreme Court that 2023 should be classified as a “distressed water year,” as opposed to a “normal water year,” and asked for a review of the ruling.DK Shivakumar, the deputy chief minister of Karnataka, then formally asked the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to review the decision to give 10,000 cusecs to Tamil Nadu. The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee suggested that Karnataka begin releasing 3,000 cusecs at Biligundlu from September 28 to October 15 after deliberations during a meeting held on Tuesday.
Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru reported the cancellation of 44 flights, including both arrivals and departures, amid the state-wide closure in Karnataka on Friday, according to airport authorities. 22 of these were headed inward, to Bengaluru, and the remaining 22 were headed outward.
