Mangaluru : The entire district shut down opposing the Yettinahole or Netravathi diversion project on Thursday, May 19.

The second time in about two years district observed bandh. Earlier, when the foundation stone for the project was laid in Chickaballapur on March 3, 2014 district observed the bandh.

The call by Netravathi Rakshana Samyutka Samithi, an action committee to save the Netravathi, to observe “voluntary bandh” received good response with public transport remaining off the road. Only some private cars and two-wheelers were found plying in the city and in other towns in the district. Business establishments in the district remained closed.

The bandh evoked good response in Bantwal, Puttur, Sullia, Belthangady, Moodbidri, Kukke Subrahmanya and Dharmasthala.

A Volvo bus  of the KSRTC which  was operating between Tirupathi and Mangaluru  via Bengaluru was stoned by some miscerants near the Ambedkar Circle during the early hours of Thursday. Bhajrangdal activists  staged protest opposing the project at Nantur.  

A car burning incident too has been reported from Belthangady. It is not yet known about the connection of these incidents with the bandh. 

According to the samithi the project involving constructing eight barrages to the tributaries of the Netravathi in Sakleshpur taluk, Hassan district, would dry up the Netravathi, the lifeline of Dakshina Kannada. People and industries in Mangaluru city are entirely depending on the river for water.

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