Life in Karnataka has beeen reported paralyzed on Saturday due to day long bandh (shut down) called by farmers and pro-Kannada organizations in the protest of releasing water of Cauvery river to Tamil Nadu.
The Supreme Court on September 29 has directed to Prime Minister to intervene in Cauvery water issue in distributing the water flow in both states.
The Apex Court also ordered Karnataka to release 9,000 cusec water daily to Tamil Nadu since September 29, 2012.
After this an uneasy calm prevailed in Karnataka and farmers and pro-Kannada organisations including ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, the opposition Congress and Janata Dal-Secular have jointly called the day-long bandh on Saturday.
"The 12-hour shutdown began at 6 a.m. There were stray incidents of road blockade, forcible closure of shops and damage to a couple of state-run buses," a senior police official informed.
The state-run transport services of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) were suspended amid fears of damage to the vehicles by miscreants.
Although train and flight services remained unaffected, passengers were stranded at the railway station here, as autorickshaws and taxis remained off the roads.
The state education department late Friday advised schools and colleges to declare a holiday Saturday to ensure safety of students during the bandh.
Companies offering 24x7 services like call centres and business process outsourcing had to make arrangements to escort their employees to work and back home.
With commercial establishments like shops, malls, restaurants and petrol pumps shut, life has virtually come to a standstill in the state capital, Mysore, Hassan, Mangalore, Hubli, Belgaum and Shimoga.
Supply of essential commodities like milk and medicines and ambulance service were, however, exempted from the shutdown.
The security has been beefed up across the state.
Additional police personnel were deployed at vital installations and sensitive areas, especially in Bangalore.
--With ANI Inputs--
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