Cauvery water row: From half-naked protests to farmers' bike rally - WATCH how Bengaluru bandh panned out

The Bengaluru bandh in Karnataka, which is a protest against the release of Cauvery River water to Tamil Nadu, has been organized by several pro-Kannada organizations. Over the past 15 days, Karnataka has been witnessing numerous protests linked to the Cauvery dispute. In Bengaluru, farmers and members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike demonstrated their frustration with the Karnataka government's handling of the issue.

The Cauvery Management Committee had previously ordered the state to release 5,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water to Tamil Nadu daily for a period of 15 days. However, the drought situation in Karnataka has raised concerns about the availability of drinking water and water for crops. The Cauvery River, which supplies drinking water to Bengaluru's residents, is being directed towards the neighbouring state.

Bengaluru bandh over Cauvery water dispute hits normal life today

During the ongoing Bengaluru bandh related to the Cauvery water issue, more than 200 protesters have been detained for defying prohibitory orders as they attempted to march from Vidhana Soudha to Raj Bhavan. The march was led by Vatal Nagaraj, the Chairman of the Federation of pro-Kannada organizations, along with his deputy Praveen Shetty and other leaders.

Cauvery dispute: CWRC meeting scheduled for today

Protests had been scheduled at various locations including Freedom Park, Raj Bhawan, and Town Hall by pro-Kannada organizations. However, the police had clearly communicated that protests would only be permitted at Freedom Park. In efforts to maintain law and order, police personnel have been deployed in the Cottonpete area of Bengaluru. Meanwhile, most shops remain closed, with exceptions made for establishments providing essential services.

During the protest, demonstrators shouted slogans against the Karnataka government and symbolically burnt a photo of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin, expressing their discontent. Meanwhile, the Cauvery Water Control Committee (CWRC) convened a meeting to address the water release issue, and it has now issued a decision stating that Karnataka should release 3,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu daily.