Bengaluru: Amid speculation that the statewide bandh on Aug 13 could be called off following the improved monsoon and increased reservoir storage, the Federation of Kannada Organisations Monday reiterated that the protest over the Cauvery issue would go ahead as planned.Activists from various Kannada organisations protested at Attibele checkpost on the Tamil Nadu border, attempting to block vehicles entering Karnataka. Police detained a few functionaries, including Vatal Nagaraj, in preventive custody.“Surplus water from our dams may have reached Tamil Nadu, but its appeal against Karnataka’s decision not to release water will come up before the Supreme Court on Aug 13. This will be another test for Karnataka, already under severe water stress after a prolonged dry spell in several interior districts,” federation chairperson Nagaraj said.He claimed that more than 1,000 firms, associations and NGOs had extended support to the bandh, to be observed from 6am to 6pm. “The recent release of water to Tamil Nadu following improved inflows into our reservoirs should not be confused with the larger dispute over Karnataka’s water-sharing obligations,” he said.Water resources department data showed that only 10.4 TMC had been realised at Biligundlu as of Aug 10. “As per the tribunal’s directions, Karnataka must ensure 177.3 TMC at Biligundlu in a normal water year. By Aug, the cumulative flow should be 86.4 TMC. But as of Aug 10, only 10.4 TMC has been realised,” an official said.Fissures within Kannada groups over bandhMeanwhile, some stakeholders have distanced themselves from the bandh call.Former Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce president and activist Sa Ra Govindu said he would not participate. “With the revival of monsoon, the water-sharing issue has eased and we have withdrawn from the bandh for now,” he told TOI.The Hotel Owners’ Association of Mysuru said it would not support the bandh. Its president, C Narayana Gowda, said the protest was unnecessary given the good rainfall and full reservoirs, but added that the association would continue the struggle through alternative means.Responding to the dissent, Nagaraj said: “Regardless of their stand, we’ll go ahead. This is not about one stakeholder or another. If water is released, all stakeholders will be affected,” he said, appealing to Kannadigas, Tamilians and Malayalis in Karnataka to support the cause.
