Pro-Kannada organisations and farmer unions have called for Karnataka bandh on Friday, September 9, to raise their voice against the recent directive by Supreme Court pertaining to the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj told TOI that they have no other way to make their voices heard. “The water situation is so grim in the Cauvery basin that people will be facing problem for even drinking water, if we allow water to TN. We understand that frequent bandh calls are a huge inconvenience to public. But we have no other way as successive governments have failed to protect the interests of farmers in the Cauvery basin,” he said.

Farmer leader Kodihalli Chandrashekar confirmed that farmer unions have also extended support to the bandh call.