Cauvery issue: Bandh in Mandya, Siddaramaiah convenes all party meet

Bengaluru, Sept 6: The Cauvery Horata Samithi has called for a bandh in Mandya, Karnataka to protest the decision of the Supreme Court which ordered the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

The Supreme Court on Monday had directed Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu for ten days. The court also ordered the supervisory committee to decide on the issue relating to the release of water during this period of ten days.

Members of the Cauvery Horata Samithi came out in large numbers and staged protests at Mandya which is 99 kilometres away from Bengaluru. Vehicular movement has been affected as a result of the protests.

Nearly 2,400 police personnel have been deployed in Mandya and the situation continues to remain volatile. People have been advised not to travel through Mandya today.

All party meeting

Meanwhile the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah has convened an all party meeting following the Supreme Court order. The meeting would discuss the way forward and how to tackle the situation. The meeting has been scheduled for later today.

The court had on Monday also directed both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to make a representation before the supervisory committee which would later tell the Supreme Court about the ground reality.

Tamil Nadu has contended that only 33 TMC of water has been released this year until August 31. Even if Karnataka claims that it is a distress year it ought to have released 68 TMC of water, TN also contended. In a normal year Karnataka needs to release 98 TMC, TN also told the court.

Karnataka on the other hand told the court that Tamil Nadu is under the impression that this is not a distress year. While the rains have been good in North Karnataka, it is the Cauvery basin in particular that has suffered the most this year, Karnataka also contended.

OneIndia News