Protests over river water turn violent in Indian IT hub

Bengaluru: India’s technology hub of Bengaluru deployed riot police and banned public gatherings on Monday to rein in protests as a water dispute turned violent, with cars and buses set on fire and people pelted with stones.

Television footage showed flames pouring from burnt-out vehicles as angry crowds gathered nearby, while police said the local metro network had been temporarily suspended.

The violence erupted after India’s Supreme Court ordered Karnataka state, where Bengaluru is based, to release 12,000 cubic feet of water per second every day from the Cauvery river to neighbouring Tamil Nadu until September 20.

The river has been the source of more than a century of tension between the states, and the anger has previously turned violent — in 1991 an interim court order telling Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu sparked riots against Tamils in Bengaluru, leaving more than 18 people dead.

“Rapid Action Force Teams have been deployed all over the city,” Bengaluru city police said on Twitter on Monday. “We urge to all Bengalurians ... Stay calm and not to be panic.” The police said later they had also imposed an emergency law known as Section 144, which prohibits gatherings in public areas.

A witness saw a group of 20 to 30 protesters, some armed with sticks and stones, stopping and searching cars.

They pulled several Tamil Nadu-registered trucks and motorcycles to the side of the road and pelted them with stones.

At least one truck driver was beaten with a stick. The protesters let Karnataka-registered vehicles through the makeshift roadblock.

Police said that more than 15,000 officers had been deployed to keep the peace including riot police and border security forces.

Bengaluru is home to top Indian IT companies such as Infosys Ltd, Wipro Ltd and Mphasis as well has offices of several multinational companies like Samsung Electronics.

Media reported a small number of attacks on Tamil-owned property in Karnataka, while Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said on Twitter that he had asked his Tamil Nadu counterpart, J. Jayalalithaa, to investigate reports of violence in Tamil Nadu against people originally from his state.

Disputes over water resources are common in India, where rising demand and poor management of supplies often leads to angry protests.

Buses suspend service

In view of the brewing tension, interstate buses with Tamil Nadu registration suspended services to the neighbouring state. Trucks and other vehicles also withdrew operating in the city.

Tension was brewing in the city and across the Mysuru region, including Mandya since afternoon after the apex court directed Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs daily from Tuesday up to September 20 in response to the state’s interim petition to allow it only 10,000 cusecs daily for six days — from September 7 to September 12.

The top court had on September 5 directed the state to release 15,000 cusecs daily for 10 days from September 7 to September 16 in response to Tamil Nadu’s plea for 50 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of the river water.