Karnataka bandh: Bengaluru to face heat for third time in a month

For the third time in a month, Bengaluru is set to face the heat of the shutdown as ‘Kannada Okkuta’ led by Vatal Nagaraj would stage a protest on Friday against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. The city almost ground to a halt on Tuesday after a bandh was observed on the same issue by Karnataka Jala Samrakshana Samithi, an umbrella outfit comprising pro-farmer and other like-minded organisations. 

As schools and colleges remain closed, barring essential services, residents are likely to face a tough time finding taxis, autorickshaws, hotels, markets and other necessities as several unions and associations extended their support to the 6 am to 6 pm bandh call.

Public transport would continue to operate and residents can avail of the services by Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Namma Metro. 

If the shutdown on Tuesday was anything to go by, the footfall on the three public services would likely be on the lower side. 

With two transport federations offering differing views, residents were expected to bear the brunt as Ola, Uber, Namma Yatri, taxi cabs, autorickshaws would remain off the roads. 

The Karnataka Auto and Taxi Drivers’ Federation led by Tanveer Pasha, who also heads the Ola, Uber Drivers’ and Owners’ Association, said his federation members won’t operate on Friday. The federation has the support of at least 16 unions, including the Adarsha Auto and Taxi Drivers’ Union and the Auto Rickshaw Drivers Union (ARDU), Pasha said. 

Airport-goers need to plan ahead as “cabs ferrying people to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) would not function”, Pasha told DH. 

Meanwhile, the Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Associations led by S Nataraj Sharma, which has 32 unions, extended only “moral support”. “All presidents and office-bearers have decided to take part voluntarily,” the federation said. “Drivers can run their vehicles at their discretion.”

Hotels would remain shut in Bengaluru, P C Rao, president of the Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association (BBHA), said. During Tuesday’s protests, four eateries were vandalised in Jayanagar police station limits.