The Supreme Court, which heard the case related to the sharing of Cauvery water between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, has directed the state to release 6,000 cusecs a day from September 21 to 27. The apex court has also asked the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Water Management Board within four weeks. That apart, both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka can file objections to the Cauvery Supervisory Committee report in three days.
In the wake of the Supreme Court hearing, security has been tightened in and around Bengaluru, with 16,000 police personnel, along with para-military forces, monitoring law and order. Security has been tightened at sensitive areas, bus stands and railway stations to prevent violent protests, apart from Attibele check post, with the deployment of a platoon of para-military force.
For the past few days, vehicular movement from the city and Tamil Nadu has been suspended in Attibele. Hundreds of passengers are forced to walk from the border area. Murthy A., a private company employee who was seen at the Satellite Bus Station, said he was going to travel till Attibele on a KSRTC bus, cross the border on foot and then take another bus to Hosur from Tamil Nadu.
Personnel stationed at the border say vehicles are being allowed through Bellur to join Hosur.
Earlier in the day, the police held flag marches in the sensitive areas. In many parts of Bengaluru, shops and commercial establishments functioned normally and no untoward incident was reported until 5 p.m., a senior police officer said.
Home Minister G. Parameshwara said "substantial" number of police force has been deployed across the city in lieu of the Supreme Court hearing. At the border, two BSF companies and six KSRP companies have been deployed, he added.
"I visited around five police stations in west Bengaluru yesterday. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has also called for a Cabinet meeting tomorrow," said Mr. Parameshwara. Karnataka had complied with the earlier order and released 1.68 lakh cusecs until today, he said.
Meanwhile, bus drivers and conductors at the Satellite Bus Stand, where security has been tightened, said the number of passengers had drastically reduced as buses wer stopped at the border.
In Mysuru, Mandya
The Cauvery Supervisory Committee's order to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu resulted in the escalation of tension across Mandya district, besides prompting farmers to intensify protests. The Mandya Zilla Raitha Hitarakshana Samiti (MZRHS) has expressed unhappiness over the CSC order and announced that it would intensify protests in the district. Members of various farmers and Kannada associations staged road blocks and at major junctions in Mandya, Srirangapatna and Maddur towns on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway.
Members of Kasturi Kannada Janapara Vedike members performed puja to the idol of Cauvery near the Deputy Commissioner’s office, while another group demonstrated with horse gram near the KSRTC bus stand. They raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence over the issue. As Mr. Modi is “not responding” to continuous protests and pleas, the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) has resorted to seek the intervention of President Pranab Mukherjee. “We have already discussed the issue with Melkote MLA K.S. Puttannaiah," senior KRRS leaders told The Hindu .
While vehicular movement on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway has significantly come down, the Bengaluru-Kanakapura-Mysuru Road witnessed heavy traffic. Though situation has been tense, no untoward incidents were reported.
Preventive custody
More than 20 persons were taken into preventive custody by noon on Tuesday by the Mysuru City Police ahead of the scheduled hearing of the Cauvery dispute by the Supreme Court.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) H.T. Shekhar told The Hindu that the city police had rounded up around 25 rowdy elements from different police station limits. “We will produce them before the court and send them to judicial custody,” he said.
The arrested persons include known miscreants and trouble-makers, Mr. Shekar said, who added that arrest of rowdy elements will continue through Tuesday.
Meanwhile, security remained tight across Mysuru with the police deploying additional forces from the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) and City Armed Reserve (CAR), besides mounted police at sensitive installations including State and Central Government offices, railway stations, bus stands, commercial complexes, besides schools and colleges.
Activists of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike led by its leader Mohan Kumar Gowda staged a protest outside the law court complex in Mysuru. The protesters, who were wearing the prison uniform, said they were ready to court arrest, but would not allow release of Cauvery water.
