Still streets, stranded commuters, strained wallets as city observes bandh

As the dawn broke over Bengaluru, the city awoke to a day that felt unusually serene, a stark departure from its typically bustling streets and lively atmosphere.

With bus stands largely devoid of their usual crowds, Namma Metro stations echoing with scanty footfalls, and only a few autorickshaws and cabs daring to venture out, it was evident that the bandh, orchestrated by the Karnataka Jala Samrakshana Samithi in opposition to the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, had captured the city’s attention.

The impact of this day of protest was felt far and wide. Schools and colleges had locked their gates, and many companies had embraced remote work arrangements, transforming the typically traffic-clogged arteries of the city into a smooth and breezy ride. Surprisingly, autorickshaws and taxi cabs, including the ubiquitous Ola and Uber, were available.

While some of the city’s beloved hotels and stores chose to stay shuttered in solidarity, others bravely opened their doors.

Passengers haggle with a few available auto-rickshaw drivers in Malleswaram on Tuesday.

In the morning, a number of stores – ranging from fashion boutiques to grocery markets – had stayed firmly closed. However, a few local shops broke the mould and began their day after 9:30 am. Notably, around 50 per cent of the city’s dining establishments welcomed patrons in the morning. P C Rao, President of the Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association, revealed that each restaurant had been granted the autonomy to decide whether to remain closed or open, based on their unique circumstances.

As the day unfolded, a scarcity of food delivery agents was apparent on the roads. Representatives from food delivery applications clarified that they had not issued an official directive to halt operations for the day. Nevertheless, delivery agents were cautioned to have their documents readily available and adhere to instructions from authorities.

“I received fewer orders than usual in the morning, likely because some restaurants had chosen to remain closed,” said Hussain, a Swiggy delivery agent.

By the time the clock struck 4 pm, it seemed as though life in Bengaluru had returned to its regular rhythm.

Airport passengers face no issues

The number of travellers gathering to use the KIA airport bus service at the Majestic bus stand was lower than usual. Some commuters, including those travelling for business and leisure, voiced worries about the number of flights being cancelled on this particular day, which prompted them to rush to the airport to find out the most recent information. Some travellers also opted to drive to the airport in their personal vehicles. Numerous airport taxis could be seen plying on the airport road which looked unusually empty.

Cab drivers noted that the bandh did not significantly disrupt their daily trips and earnings as crucial services were still available during the day. Airport taxis, private taxis, and internet taxi services like Ola, Uber, and Blue continued to operate as usual.

The statewide strike slated for September 29 would see all transportation services, including cabs, fully suspended, said a cab driver.

Dip in hospital visits

Despite the citywide strike on Tuesday, both government and private healthcare facilities remained operational, albeit with significantly reduced foot traffic.

Police detain Karnataka Rakshana Vedike members during their protest against release of 5000 cusec water to Tamil Nadu daily at Gandhi Nagar in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

At the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) complex, which houses Vani Vilas and Minto hospitals, the number of outpatients was only half of what is typically seen, according to BMCRI Director Dr Ramesh Krishna K.

Victoria Hospital saw a 35% decrease in outpatient numbers, while PMSSY super specialty hospital in the same complex experienced a 20% decline.

This trend extended to other government hospitals as well. Bowring hospital, which usually attends to around 1,500 patients on regular days, saw only 770 patients at the OPD. KC General hospital recorded 1,065 patients, compared to its usual count of around 1,600.
Notably, all hospitals, including private ones, reported that their staff diligently worked throughout the day.

Dr Balasundar, Chief Health Officer of BBMP, mentioned that they received no complaints about people being unable to access healthcare facilities in the city. However, BBMP health centers noted a 20-30% drop in OPD numbers compared to the usual,
he said.

The one-day Bengaluru bandh did not impact operations at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) here, operators of the airport said on Tuesday. Some of the services reported disruptions – most of them operated by IndiGo – but sources did not confirm that they were caused by the bandh. An airport source told DH that no cancellations or rescheduling of flights was done because of the bandh. “Some of the passengers reached the airport four to five hours prior to the departure of their flights” the source said. The airport operator and some of the airlines had on Monday asked passengers to reach the airport three hours ahead of departure. Sources confirmed flight cancellations and clubbing of services but did not attribute them to the day-long shutdown. The flight schedule on the airport’s official page showed cancellations of at least 10 IndiGo flights including five outbound flights to Coimbatore Kannur Thiruvananthapuram Hyderabad and Kochi. Airlines continued to receive queries on their social media pages regarding services planned for September 29 the day of a state-wide bandh called by pro-Kannada organisations against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

In a non-related incident, a constable who was on bandh bandobast duty and attached to RMC yard traffic police reportedly found a rat in the food packet given out during the bandh on Tuesday. The food was served by a local hotel near Goraguntepalya. Around 10 police personnel consumed the food before they were informed about the dead rat said the police. A case has been booked under Section 273 IPC (offences affecting public health) and the license of the hotel has been revoked. The owners may be fined up to Rs 6 lakh the police said.