Bengaluru, Today, farmer and pro-Kannada groups called bandh in Mandya district of southern Karnataka to protest against the direction by the Supreme Court asking the state to release Cauvery River water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

Usually, in Mandya protests held on the Cauvery issue as this is the heartland of the Cauvery basin. 

Schools and colleges in the district have been closed for the day and state transport buses have been stopped on the highway.

Processions are planned too and the busy Bengaluru-Mysuru highway is likely to be blocked intermittently through the day.

Today, authorities took up around 700 KSRTC government buses as a safety measure.

The court has been approached by the Tamil Nadu and asked to direct Karnataka to release water as per the 2007 decision of the Cauvery Tribunal.

Karnataka says, “ its reservoirs are not holding enough water due to inadequate rainfall in the catchment area and had offered 10,000 cusecs of water a day.”

Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah has demand for peace. And a meeting has been called by him this afternoon with the political leaders from all state parties in Bengaluru.