Karnataka bandh evokes good response

The dawn-to-dusk 'Karnataka bandh'

called by Kannada outfits to protest release of Cauvery water

to Tamil Nadu today disrupted normal life in the city and

river basin districts even as window-panes of some buses were

damaged in stone-pelting incidents.In Bangalore city, some persons pelted stones on some

Bangalore metropolitan transport Corporation buses and damaged

its window panes, police said. As per initial reports, the bandh has evoked good response

with normal life affected in Bangalore, and Cauvery basin

districts of Mandya, Mysore, Hassan and Chamarajanagar. In Bangalore, country's IT capital, roads which are

generally choc-a-bloc with traffic wore a deserted look with

people preferring to remain indoors barring few morning

walkers. Some persons, who had come to visit the city, were seen

stranded at railway stations and bus stands with buses

belonging to Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation

(KSRTC) and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation and

even autorickshaws remaining off the roads. Activists belonging to pro-Kannada organisation,

Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, staged protest marches in

Nelamangala, Anekal and Doddaballapura in Bangalore Rural

District, Superintendent of Police D Prakash told PTI. The Chamundi Express was stopped at Srirangapatna and

not allowed to proceed to Mysore, railway police said. The central study team, on its second day of visit for

assessing the water-situation, undertook an aerial study in

Harangi, Kabini and Hemavathy catchment area. Peaceful protest marches were held in Mandya and Mysore

districts with farmers resorting to "rasta roko" in

Srirangapatna and Gejjalagere in Mandya district, hotbed

of the stir, police said. Security has been tightened with 80,000 police and other

personnel being deployed to prevent any untoward incidents. The Karnataka government began releasing 9000 cusecs of

water to Tamil Nadu after the Supreme Court asked it to abide

by the September 19 directive of the Cauvery River Authority,

headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, till October 15.