Bengaluru, 31 July

Pro-Kannada outfits on Friday announced a bandh across the state on August 13 to protest the CWMA's direction to Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.

The announcement was made by pro-Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj following a meeting convened by pro-Kannada organisations under his leadership in Bengaluru to discuss the future course of protests against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

Addressing a press conference here, he said that Karnataka bandh will be observed from 6 am to 6 pm on August 13.

He called upon people to cooperate and support this bandh. "Let us all make Karnataka Bandh a grand success from Belagavi to Chamarajanagar," he said.

He also slammed all the political parties which are indulging in using the Cauvery order for their political mileage.

The organisations opposed the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, arguing that Karnataka itself is facing a water shortage and that releasing water would adversely affect the state's farmers.

The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) upheld the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's (CWRC) recommendation to release 3,500 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.