Tamil Nadu buses stopped at Karnataka border amid Mekedatu dam protests
Transport buses from Tamil Nadu have been barred from entering Karnataka following protests called by Kannada organisations over the long-pending Mekedatu dam project on the Cauvery river.Kannada Jagruthi Vedike and Kannada Rakshana Vedike had called for a road blockade on Sunday, July 26 prompting
Transport buses from Tamil Nadu have been barred from entering Karnataka following protests called by Kannada organisations over the long-pending Mekedatu dam project on the Cauvery river.Kannada Jagruthi Vedike and Kannada Rakshana Vedike had called for a road blockade on Sunday, July 26 prompting the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) to suspend services beyond Hosur. All TNSTC buses bound for Bengaluru are operating only up to Hosur until further notice.According to reports, Tamil Nadu police said the decision was taken on the instructions of the Dharmapuri Zone of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation to prevent any untoward incidents. Police personnel have been deployed at the border as a precautionary measure.The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and private buses, however, continue to operate services into Tamil Nadu as usual.To minimise inconvenience to passengers travelling from Tamil Nadu, the transport department has decided to operate additional city buses.The protests stem from the decades-long dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the proposed Rs 9,000-crore Mekedatu balancing reservoir project across the Cauvery river. Karnataka has maintained that the project is intended to supply drinking water to Bengaluru and generate hydroelectric power, while Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed it, arguing that it would adversely affect its share of Cauvery waters.