Karnataka outfits call State bandh on August 13 over water release

Various Kannada organizations have called for a statewide bandh in Karnataka on August 13, protesting against the Cauvery Water Management Authority's directive to release water to Tamil Nadu. The CWMA upheld the earlier order of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee to release 3,500 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days due to poor storage in Karnataka's reservoirs.

Karnataka's Chief Minister, D.K. Shivakumar, appealed to Kannada organizations not to proceed with the bandh, stating that the government is also in their favor and a bandh would not provide relief. The decision on further action regarding the water release issue will be made after consultation with legal experts and the Opposition at an all-party meeting on Sunday.

The tense atmosphere in the State led to clashes between protesters and authorities in Mandya district, where demonstrators tore posters of Tamil Nadu's recently released film and forced theater screenings to halt. The BJP threatened to boycott the all-party meeting if the Chief Minister did not commit to not releasing water to Tamil Nadu.

Karnataka's reservoirs showed an improvement in inflow in the last two to three days, with Harangi reservoir at 95% capacity, Kabini at 83%, KRS at 36%, and Hemavathi at 67%. Karnataka has released the smallest quantum of water to Tamil Nadu in the last 100 years.