District bandh expected to be total

Motorcyclists to go on 12-km protest ride to save Nethravathi; organisations extend support

 The district bandh call given by the Nethravathi Rakshana Samyukta Samithi, opposing Yettinahole project, is likely to be total, with majority of the organisations extending their support.

Essential services – including hospital and ambulance services – milk and newspaper supplies, however, are unlikely to be affected by the bandh.

Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation Mangaluru division official said that they would operate services depending on the situation and the number of passengers, however, posters have been put up on majority of private buses informing the public of the bandh.

Autorickshaws affiliated to Karnataka Rakshana Vedike said that they are supporting the bandh and will not operate on the road. “It is the question of the existence of River Nethravathi, the lifeline of Dakshina Kannada district,” they insisted.

On the other hand, CPI and CPM district unit has decided not to support the bandh call.

Cyclists support

The Mangalore Bicycle Club (MBC), which has been organising several such green-initiatives, has taken the lead in organising the ‘Save Nethravathi Protest Ride’, with 51 members confirming their participation. The members of Mangalore Cycling Club (MACC) too would be joining the ride. Members of both the clubs had participated in the ‘Save Nethravathi Ride’ from Mangaluru to Nethravathi’s confluence with the Arabian Sea at Ullal on October 4, 2015.

The MBC members said they had been receiving queries from cyclists of Mangaluru about the protest ride, which will start at 6 am from outside the City Corporation Office at Lalbagh. The cyclists will pass via Urwa Store, Lady Hill, PVS Circle, Bunts’ Hostel, Balmatta Road, Deputy Commissioner’s Office, Hampankatte Circle, MG Road, VT Road, Car Street, Dongerkery Road, PVS Circle and culminate at the starting point. The ride will cover a distance of 12 kilometres.

In a peace meeting held at Konaje police station on Wednesday, an officials of Infosys, Mudipu, said that the software firm will suspend work for a day and extend support to the bandh call.