The day-long bandh, called for by the Cauvery Delta Protection Movement on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, against the Karnataka government for failing to release adequate water for irrigation in the Cauvery river, began with many shops and business establishments in the delta districts remaining closed, to express their solidarity with farmers.
However, public transportation has been operating as usual, and educational institutions and government offices too, functioned as per usual. Shops selling essential commodities such as medicines, and milk also remained open in the delta districts.
According to initial reports, traders in the busy Kamarajar wholesale vegetable market and Serfoji market in Thanjavur district did not open their shops. Shops also remained shut in Mannargudi, Koothanallur, Nannilam, Thiruthuraipoondi, and Kudavasal in Tiruvarur district.
Several shops and business establishments in Pattamangala Street and Mahadhana Street in Mayiladuthurai town, and other areas in the district, such as Sirkazhi, Poompuhar, Tharangambadi, Kuthalam, and Sembanarkoil, also downed shutters.
In Nagapattinam district too, the bandh was enforced with many shops closed in Velipalayam, Nagore, Velankanni, Kilvelur, Thirumarugal, and Keezhaiyur, sources said.
Several farmers’ associations and political parties, including the ruling DMK and its alliance partners, and traders’ associations have extended their support and planned to stage demonstrations in front of Central government offices in the districts.
Tail-end delta districts see good response to bandh
The bandh also evoked a good response in the tail-end delta regions of Chidambaram and Kattumannarkovil taluks in Cuddalore district, with most shops remaining closed.
Public transportation remained largely unaffected however, and government offices, schools and banks functioned as usual. Except for emergency services, most shops and business establishments had downed their shutters to express their solidarity with the farmers of the region.
K.V. Elangeeran, president of the Cauvery Delta Farmers Federation pointed out that crops raised on around 2 lakh acres in the Delta districts had withered, for want of water, as the Karnataka government had failed to release water into the Cauvery as per the Supreme Court order and the orders of the Cauvery Water Management Authority.
The bandh has been called by the movement to mount pressure on Karnataka to release water to save the standing Kuruvai crop and for preparatory works for the Samba season, he added.
The Cuddalore district police had beefed up security across Chidambaram and Kattumannarkovil to prevent any untoward incident during the bandh.
