Karnataka Bandh Today: Schools, Banks, Hospitals, Public Transport to Remain Open Amid Cauvery Row

Schools, banks, hospitals, pharmacies and public transport services are expected to function normally across Karnataka on Thursday despite a bandh call by several Kannada organisations over the Cauvery water-sharing dispute with Tamil Nadu.

The Bengaluru City Police has appealed to residents to remain calm and cooperate with authorities ahead of the Karnataka Bandh called for August 13, 2026, to protest the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s order directing Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu.

In a press note, the Bengaluru police said several organisations had called for the bandh, while others had informed authorities that they would not support the shutdown.

The police said they respected citizens’ democratic right to protest peacefully and within the law, but stressed that other residents should also be allowed to carry out their daily activities without obstruction.

“All organisations and members of the public are requested to cooperate with the Bengaluru City Police in maintaining peace, public order and normalcy in the city,” the police said.

What is open, what is closed?

Schools, banks, hospitals and pharmacies are expected to operate normally.

Public transport services are also likely to remain unaffected. Employee associations of the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) have not extended support to the bandh.

Private bus operators, transporters and autorickshaw associations have also distanced themselves from the shutdown call.

Street vendors are expected to continue their business as usual, with many groups offering only moral support to the protest.

Farmers, Kannada groups oppose Cauvery order

The bandh call follows protests by farmers and Kannada organisations against the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s latest water-sharing directive.

Farmer organisations staged demonstrations in Mandya, while several Kannada groups called for the statewide shutdown on August 13 in protest against the order.

The CWMA has directed Karnataka to comply with the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s decision to release 12,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu every day for 15 days from August 12.

The water is to be released at Biligundlu, a key point for measuring Cauvery flows between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The dispute has once again intensified tensions between the two neighbouring states, with Karnataka farmer and Kannada organisations arguing that the state should prioritise its own water requirements amid concerns over reservoir levels.