Brief tension reigns in Chikkaballapur over lake water issue

Tension reigned temporarily and shops were forced shut down briefly in Chikkaballapur city on Wednesday, when environmentalists called for a 'bundh' and another group opposed it clashed.    

Th members of Pragatipara Parisara Chinthakara Veidike had called for the bundh over the issue of treating the sewage-ridden waters of Hebbala and Nagawara lakes' and using clean water to fill the district's other tanks.

The Shashwat Niravari Horata Samithi, Raitha Sangha, pro-Kannada organisations, JD(S) and BJP had expressed support for the bundh. But Congress workers opposed it and took out a bike rally in protest.  

BJP workers also took out a bike rally of their own supporting the issue. When the two groups--for and against; the issue reached Ambedkar Circle in the city the situation turned tense for a while.  

While Superintendent of Police Karthik Reddy convinced the Congress workers to return; certain protesters briefly turned violent and pelted stones. Police resorted to a lathi charge to quell the angry mob.