People in Karnataka are preparing for the bandh called on 25 January by pro-Kannada groups and farmers to demand a solution to the Mahadayi water sharing dispute.
Private schools, some shops and government offices will likely remain shut. There is likely to be an impact on public transport across the state as some taxi and trade unions have extended their support to the dispute. State-run buses might continue to operate.
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The 12-hour, dawn-to-dusk bandh has been called by Kannada Chalavali Vatal Paksha (KCVP) and other fringe outfits. KCVP is headed by former MLA Vatal Nagaraj.
Not everyone is supporting the bandh. Though Nagaraj claims that about 2,000 Kannada outfits are backing the call, some activists say that they were not taken into confidence.
According to a media reports, the activists have said that they won’t support the bandh call for 25 January. They have raised concerns about alienation of the people who might feel inconvenienced due to frequent bandhs.
The outfits are demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervenes in the dispute between Goa and Karnataka.
Another protest has been called for 4 February.
On 25 January, BJP president Amit Shah will be in Mysuru to participate in the ‘Parivarthana Yathre’ of BJP leader and former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa.
PM Modi will be in Bengaluru on 4 February to address a rally.
The protestors are demanding the implementation of the Kalasa-Banduri dam project. The project, which has been hanging since 2002, was expected to provide water to the parched North Karnataka by diverting a portion of the water of Mahadayi river.
The river originates in Karnataka and flows for 29 kilometres through the state. The river in Goa, where it is known as Mandovi, flows for 52 kilometres.
