Bengaluru Services to Run Normally on Aug 13 Despite Cauvery Bandh Call

Normal life in Bengaluru is expected to remain largely unaffected on Thursday, August 13, despite a 12-hour Karnataka bandh call given by Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj. While activist group Kannada Okkoota plans to hold a demonstration rally from Town Hall to Freedom Park at 11 a.m., major auto, taxi, hotel, and school associations across the city have declined to shut down operations, offering only moral support to the cause.

The bandh, scheduled from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., was called to protest the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s directive ordering Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu, as well as to highlight major irrigation and development issues including the Kalasa-Banduri and Mekedatu projects. As a precursor to the event, Nagaraj’s group held a protest using brooms at Majestic Bus Stand on August 12 before police escorted them away.

Public and private transport, essential services, shops, healthcare, banks, eateries, and commercial establishments in Bengaluru are expected to operate normally. Rudramurthy of the Auto Rickshaw Drivers’ Union and Tanveer Pasha of OTU both stated that stopping operations would severely disrupt daily livelihoods. K. Radhakrishna Holla, president of the Karnataka State Travel Operators Association, emphasized that continuity in transport, tourism, and hospitality is vital for Bengaluru.

Schools will also remain open. Private schools affiliated with the Karnataka Associated Management of Schools withdrew a previous closure advisory to prevent the loss of academic days. D. Shashikumar, general secretary of the management group, said staff members may wear black ribbons as a symbolic gesture without interrupting classes. Similarly, P.C. Rao of the Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels Association stated hotels would stay open because food is an essential service.

Other major groups have also distanced themselves from the shutdown. Dinesh Kumar, organizing secretary of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, said his organization is not supporting the bandh, adding that a legal battle by the government is the proper solution.

Bengaluru City Police have warned against forced shutdowns, threats, and road blockades. Police stated that while citizens have the right to peaceful protest within legal limits, security forces will be deployed across sensitive locations in Bengaluru to ensure public safety and protect non-participating citizens.