Karnataka bandh evokes good response

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The dawn-to-dusk 'Karnataka bandh' called by Kannada outfits to protest release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu on Saturday disrupted normal life in the city and river basin districts even as window-panes of some buses were damaged in stone-pelting incidents.

In Bengaluru city, some persons pelted stones on some 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 Bengaluru and Cauvery basin districts of Mandya, Mysore, Hassan and Chamarajanagar.

In Bengaluru, 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 Bengaluru Rural District, Superintendent of Police D. Prakash told agencies.

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.