Bengaluru gave a mixed result to the all-Karnataka bandh, with the strongest action happening at 6 am when the Metro was forced to halt.
However, the rest of the city saw little to no adverse protests.
However, there were several reports of cab drivers refusing trips, stranding several passengers in the early morning rain. Airport taxis were still operating, though the city cabs - and aggregators like Ola and Uber - were off the streets.
Protestors of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike tried to seize the Metro Railway Station at Nayandahalli in South Bengaluru. However, prompt police action stopped them, and the protestors have been arrested.
In Vijayanagar Metro station, the demonstrators presented a flower bouquet to the Metro Staff and sent them home.
Metro services, which were supposed to be running, have been stopped, and police vans have been parked at the entrance of Metro stations.
Around the same time, the protestors staged a dharna in the Bengaluru Railway Station and Kempegowda Bus Station as well. They stopped the Bengaluru-Chennai train and shouted slogans on the tracks. (The train was scheduled to departure to Chennai at 6.15 am).
KSRTC and BMTC buses stopped completely after 6 am, and for a while, even auto rickshaws and private cabs have also stopped.
Schools and colleges across the state are closed. But schools of Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udupi districts ran as usual.
Besides Bengaluru, the bandh continued to in the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad also.
The Karnataka film industry has also joined the bandh. Stars of Kannada film industry held a protest march from Town Hall to Freedom Park in open vehicles. Actor Shivarajkumar, Chairman of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce Sa.Ra. Govindu and many other actors and directors participated in the rally. Across the state, there are no film screenings in theatres and or shootings planned.
Thousands of police are deputed to duty throughout Bengaluru. The bandh will continue till 6 pm.
Background:
The Karnataka government, which has locked horns with neighboring Goa on the larger issue of sharing the Mahadayi River water between both the states, had petitioned the Mahadayi Tribunal, seeking the release of 7.56 tmcft of water for the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project.
The tribunal which gave its interim order on Wednesday after hearing arguments from both Karnataka and Goa, had rejected Karnataka's plea -- citing various grounds, including ecological damage that the project may cause.
Intense, and some times violent, protests have gripped Northern Karnataka ever since that verdict, with protestors demanding an immediate solution. The issue has been on the back-burner since the 1980s. Bandhs have been ongoing in Northern Karnataka since Thursday and Saturday was the day chosen for an all-Karnataka bandh in solidarity with the Northern districts.
The Kalasa-Banduri Nala (diversion) project, which will utilise 7.56 tmcft of water from the inter-state Mahadayi River, is being undertaken by Karnataka to improve drinking water supply to the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and the districts of Belagavi and Gadag.
It involves building barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, tributaries of Mahadayi River, to divert 7.56 TMC to Malaprabha River which supplies drinking water needs of the twin cities.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah had earlier said that after consulting legal experts and leaders of all political parties the further course of action would be decided.
The Goa government had earlier rejected Karnataka's attempt for an out-of-court settlement of the dispute stating that the people of the state felt it was more prudent to settle the dispute through the Tribunal.
