The 12-hour Karnataka bandh called by farmers and pro-Kannada organisations in protest against release of water to Tamil Nadu passed off peacefully. Barring stray incidents of stone-throwing and a few protesters laying siege to the corporate offices of Wipro in Bangalore, the bandh was peaceful.

All companies, commercial establishments, schools, colleges, offices and shops downed their shutters voluntarily. Call centres and business process outsourcing companies had to make alternative arrangements to escort their employees to work and back. The city roads were mostly empty as State transport buses and autos went off the roads. Flight services were unaffected, but a few trains were running late and passengers were stranded at the railway station. Train services between Mysore and Bangalore has been suspended.

The police department mobilised 17,000 additional personnel to protect key installations and sensitive areas in the city.

The bandh crippled life in the southern districts of the State — Mandya, Mysore, Chamarajnagar and Hassan, where there were attempts at self-immolation and suicide.

There was mixed response to the bandh in coastal and north Karnataka districts. Today’s bandh was supported by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition Congress and Janata Dal-Secular.

The Central Water Commission (CWC) team visited Kabini, Harangi and Hemavathi irrigation area to assess the water-availability and crop status for the second day on Saturday.

“The central team is in the State on the orders of the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) and the Cauvery Monitoring Committee (CMC) is scheduled to meet on October 11. The central team visited three districts (KRS, Kabini, Harangi and Hemavati reservoirs),” said Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

> anil.u@thehindu.co.in

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