Life in Mysuru and surrounding regions in the Cauvery basin of the Karnataka was affected on Saturday following the bandh called in support of the Mekedatu drinking water project. The bandh was total, and there were no untoward incidents.
The bandh call was given by the Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha president Vatal Nagaraj, and it was supported by several Kannada organisations. The activists protested against the alleged interference and opposition of Tamil Nadu to the Mekedatu project, planned across the Cauvery in Ramanagaram district.
The bandh was also to exert pressure on the State government to take up the project on priority. People from different walks of life, including farmers, members of the chamber of commerce and industry, students, factory workers and others participated in the bandh. Commercial establishments in the heart of the city, including K.R. Circle, Devaraj Urs Road, Dhanavantri Road, Vishwa Manava Double Road, Chamaraja Double Road, Ashoka Road, Narayan Shastry Road, Agrahara and others remained shut since morning. Activists formed a human chain around K.R. Circle and took out a procession. But for medical shops, clinics and a few ATMs of banks that were functioning, normal activity came to a halt in the city. University staff at the Crawford Hall stopped work and came out of the building at the behest of a few leaders who sought their support for the bandh.
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The KSRTC bus-stand wore a deserted look as all services were withdrawn. Suburban services were also suspended. The autorickshaw union and private cabs too supported the bandh, and theatres and petrol stations remained closed.
The Mysore Industries Association (MIA) and the Mysore Chamber of Commerce and Industry participated in the strike as a result of which industrial production was affected. However, the MIA said most of the industries that supported the bandh will work on the next weekly off day to compensate for the production loss.
Places of tourist interest, including the palace and the zoo remained closed for visitors, though the palace allowed entry of tourists in the afternoon. Most financial institutions, including banks, remained shut. The bandh evoked a spontaneous response from traders even in residential areas of the city, with most shops being shut in Sarawathipuram, Kuvempunagar, Gokulam, Yadavgiri, Udaygiri, Srirampura, Jayanagar, and Krishnamurthypuram, among others. The impact of bandh was not confined to the city but was evident even in towns like K.R. Nagar, Hunsur, Kollegal, Gundlupet, Chamarajanagar, Mandya, and Maddur. The bandh was also total in Bengaluru, Shimoga, and Hassan.
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