The Karnataka bandh called by various organisations in support of Kalasa-Banduri Nala project has had little impact in Dakshina Kannada and Mangaluru on Saturday.
Government offices functioned as usual even as students attended classes. Private and city buses too operated. Commercial activities were normal in Mangaluru. Police had stepped up vigil to ward off any untoward incident during the day.
District Kannada Sahitya Parishat President Pradeep Kumar Kalkura told The Hindu that people of the coastal district were in favour of the project. However, they remained silent as their own livelihood, Netravathi River, is under threat by the Yettinahole River diversion project.
“It is not that people in coastal Karnataka do not support the Mahadayi cause; we are in fact with the rest of Karnataka. What has been bothering us is when our livelihood is sought to be snatched away, how can we support the Karnataka bandh,” said Mr. Kalkura.
Moreover, no organisations have urged people in the district or the associations to support the bandh, he said. Still people have emotionally been supporting the Kalasa-Banduri cause, he adds. “We are not opposed to sharing water with the people of parched districts. However, we want it to be done transparently after assuring us that the life in the coastal districts would not get affected by such water diversion,” Mr. Kalkura said.
KSRTC services
While long-distance services of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation did not operate, local services towards Dharmasthala, Puttur, Uppinangady etc., remained off the roads till about 10 a.m. thereby inconveniencing passengers.
KSRTC Mangaluru Divisional Controller Vivekanand Hegde told The Hindu that the Corporation intended to watch the situation before commencing the services, based on past experiences where a few buses were damaged during bandhs. Moreover, a few workers’ Unions had supported the bandh and there was shortage of crew early in the morning, he said. The Corporation commenced long-distance services by late afternoon and night services would operate normally, Mr. Hegde added.
