Various organisations, including farmers and pro-Kannada groups, have called for a Bengaluru bandh from 6 am to 6 pm on September 26 to voice their demand that the Karnataka government refrain from releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

The call for a bandh has sparked a range of responses, with decisions still pending on several fronts. Schools, IT companies, and other institutions are being asked to declare a holiday, and a decision regarding this is expected today. App-based auto-rickshaws and cabs have decided to participate in the bandh, with the Ola Uber Drivers’ and Owners’ Association confirming their support for the bandh. Airport cabs are also anticipated to be affected by the bandh.

In a show of solidarity with the bandh, numerous industries, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, and other small local businesses are expected to remain closed. Farmers’ leader Kuruburu Shanthakumar has called on schools, colleges, IT companies, and the film chamber to declare a holiday. He has further demanded that the state government convene a special assembly session. Shanthakumar stated that a protest march from Town Hall to Mysuru Bank Circle is scheduled for September 26 at 11 am.

The bandh has garnered support from opposition parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)), Aam Aadmi Party, and others.

However, essential services, including hospitals, nursing homes, and medical shops, as well as government offices, will remain open. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) will operate Namma Metro services as usual. On the other hand, state-run Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will decide their course of action based on the prevailing law and order situation.

Notably, bus services are expected to be affected as the AITUC-backed KSRTC Staff & Workers Federation, a major union, has opted to participate in the Bengaluru bandh. HV Anantha Subba Rao, president of KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation, emphasised their full support for the bandh and urged all employees in Bengaluru not to take any buses out of BMTC depots.

Cauvery dispute
The official declaration for the Bengaluru shutdown was issued on Saturday by farmer groups and pro-Kannada organizations during the ‘Mandya Bandh’ protest. The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) had instructed Karnataka to extend the release of 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for an additional 15 days, following a similar recommendation from the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) the previous week.

The Supreme Court had also declined to intervene in the orders issued by CWMA and CWRC, which mandated Karnataka to provide 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu. This decision led to protests erupting in various parts of the state.

Karnataka has consistently argued that it cannot release water, citing its own need for drinking water and irrigation in the Cauvery basin regions, especially given the water scarcity caused by deficient monsoon rainfall.