Karnataka bandh on January 25, dispute of Mahadayi river

Karnataka is bracing for a shutdown on January 25 with farmers and same pro-Kannada groups sticking to their bandh called from 6 am to 6 pm over the water sharing dispute of Mahadayi river.

1)Pro-Kannada groups and farmers have called for a bandh in Karnataka on January 25, to pressurise Centre and parties to resolve Mahadayi (also known as Mandovi river in Goa) river dispute. Goa and Karnataka have locked horns over sharing of Mahadayi river water.

2)To put PM Modi to intervene in the water dispute, another bandh will be organised in Bengaluru next week. On February 4, PM Modi will be in the city to address state BJP Parivartan Rally. The issue is pending before the Mahadavi Water Dispute Tribunal in Delhi.

3)Last December, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar wrote a letter to Karnataka BJP president BS Yeddyurappa after which the issue came to fore. Goa Water Resources Department Minister Vinod Palyekar recently claimed that Karnataka government was trying to divert the river water for irrigation purpose in violation of the Supreme Court orders.