<p>A day after the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal rejected Karnataka’s interim plea for water, massive protests erupted in several parts of the state on Thursday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Many farmer organisations, including the Kalasa-Banduri Horata Samithi, observed a bandh demanding that the Central government intervene and ensure the implementation of the vexed Kalasa-Banduri canal project undertaken by the state government to improve drinking water supply to the parched districts of Belagavi, Dharwad and Gadag in North Karnataka. <br /><br />While Navalgund in Dharwad district witnessed violent protests and arson, two youths attempted suicide at Nargund in Gadag district.<br /><br />Several parts of North Karnataka came to a standstill. Except Belagavi, all cities and towns were shut down in Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Koppal and Bagalkot districts and a few taluks in Belagavi district. The Hyderabad-Karnataka region was by and large peaceful.<br /><br />Navalgund, the epicentre of the agitation, was on the boil. Angry farmers blocked the Hubballi-Sholapur National Highway and ransacked government offices. Mobs threw stones at Union and state government offices and set fire to furniture at the BSNL office. <br /><br />They also damaged furniture at the JMFC court complex, the town planning office, tahsildar’s office and North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation office and burnt office files. Two government vehicles parked on the Block Education Officer’s office premises were torched. <br /><br />A car parked on the government ITI premises was damaged. Police resorted to caning to disperse the mobs. More than 80 people were taken into custody and four people carrying lethal weapons were also arrested.<br /><br />Deputy Commissioner S B Bommannahalli and Superintendent of Police Dharmendra Kumar Meena visited Navalgund and tried to bring the situation under control.<br /><br />In Kolar and Chikkaballapur, a bandh called by several organisations was total and peaceful. Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene members staged a protest in Chamarajanagar and Chitradurga. <br /><br />Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC were imposed on the town.<br />In Gadag district, farmers forced a total shutdown in the city and in major towns. <br /><br />The protesters also demanded separate statehood for North Karnataka and attacked a bank in Ron. The taluk panchayat office at Mundargi also bore the brunt of the agitation.<br /><br />A massive protest was held at Nargund, where two youths attempted suicide by consuming poison during a farmers’ procession. <br /><br />Nandish Matad and Sangamesh Charanthimath were rushed to KIMS in Hubballi, where their condition is said to be serious. Sangamesh’s father Shivalingayya said he was happy that his son tried to sacrifice his life for the Kalasa-Banduri cause.<br /><br />At Ranebennur in Haveri district, some farmers wrote a letter with their blood and sent it to the prime minister urging him to solve the Kalasa-Banduri row.<br /><br />The bandh was total in Hubballi-Dharwad. All the main roads and most of the streets in the twin cities were blocked by protesters who burnt tyres and dumped thorns on the roads.<br /><br />The agitators stormed the All India Radio station and Doordarshan premises and stoned the buildings. <br /><br />They also forced the district administration office, other offices and banks to down their shutters and blocked NH4 (Pune-Bengaluru road) for nearly five hours. <br /><br />Bandh total<br />In Belagavi district, Ramdurg, Bailhongal and Savadatti taluks, coming under the Malaprabha command area, observed a total bandh. Businesses, shops and offices in the three taluks remained closed. Public transport was badly affected. However, life was normal in Khanapur taluk where the Kalasa-Banduri nalas and River Malaprabha originate. Protests were also staged in other parts of the district for a few hours.<br /></p>
<p>A day after the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal rejected Karnataka’s interim plea for water, massive protests erupted in several parts of the state on Thursday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Many farmer organisations, including the Kalasa-Banduri Horata Samithi, observed a bandh demanding that the Central government intervene and ensure the implementation of the vexed Kalasa-Banduri canal project undertaken by the state government to improve drinking water supply to the parched districts of Belagavi, Dharwad and Gadag in North Karnataka. <br /><br />While Navalgund in Dharwad district witnessed violent protests and arson, two youths attempted suicide at Nargund in Gadag district.<br /><br />Several parts of North Karnataka came to a standstill. Except Belagavi, all cities and towns were shut down in Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Koppal and Bagalkot districts and a few taluks in Belagavi district. The Hyderabad-Karnataka region was by and large peaceful.<br /><br />Navalgund, the epicentre of the agitation, was on the boil. Angry farmers blocked the Hubballi-Sholapur National Highway and ransacked government offices. Mobs threw stones at Union and state government offices and set fire to furniture at the BSNL office. <br /><br />They also damaged furniture at the JMFC court complex, the town planning office, tahsildar’s office and North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation office and burnt office files. Two government vehicles parked on the Block Education Officer’s office premises were torched. <br /><br />A car parked on the government ITI premises was damaged. Police resorted to caning to disperse the mobs. More than 80 people were taken into custody and four people carrying lethal weapons were also arrested.<br /><br />Deputy Commissioner S B Bommannahalli and Superintendent of Police Dharmendra Kumar Meena visited Navalgund and tried to bring the situation under control.<br /><br />In Kolar and Chikkaballapur, a bandh called by several organisations was total and peaceful. Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene members staged a protest in Chamarajanagar and Chitradurga. <br /><br />Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC were imposed on the town.<br />In Gadag district, farmers forced a total shutdown in the city and in major towns. <br /><br />The protesters also demanded separate statehood for North Karnataka and attacked a bank in Ron. The taluk panchayat office at Mundargi also bore the brunt of the agitation.<br /><br />A massive protest was held at Nargund, where two youths attempted suicide by consuming poison during a farmers’ procession. <br /><br />Nandish Matad and Sangamesh Charanthimath were rushed to KIMS in Hubballi, where their condition is said to be serious. Sangamesh’s father Shivalingayya said he was happy that his son tried to sacrifice his life for the Kalasa-Banduri cause.<br /><br />At Ranebennur in Haveri district, some farmers wrote a letter with their blood and sent it to the prime minister urging him to solve the Kalasa-Banduri row.<br /><br />The bandh was total in Hubballi-Dharwad. All the main roads and most of the streets in the twin cities were blocked by protesters who burnt tyres and dumped thorns on the roads.<br /><br />The agitators stormed the All India Radio station and Doordarshan premises and stoned the buildings. <br /><br />They also forced the district administration office, other offices and banks to down their shutters and blocked NH4 (Pune-Bengaluru road) for nearly five hours. <br /><br />Bandh total<br />In Belagavi district, Ramdurg, Bailhongal and Savadatti taluks, coming under the Malaprabha command area, observed a total bandh. Businesses, shops and offices in the three taluks remained closed. Public transport was badly affected. However, life was normal in Khanapur taluk where the Kalasa-Banduri nalas and River Malaprabha originate. Protests were also staged in other parts of the district for a few hours.<br /></p>
