Bandh at Attibele-Hosur state border on July 15.
Kannada activist and former MLA Vatal Nagaraj has called for a bandh on Wednesday, July 15, at the Attibele-Hosur border over the Mekedatu dam project. This was triggered by the continuous conflicts between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the Mekedatu project.

The bandh is expected to block traffic at the Attibele-Hosur border and create a shutdown zone on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu stretch. Commuters, buses, and commercial vehicles may face delays or stoppages. The protest is aimed at putting pressure on both state administrations.
The dispute is hinged on the rising fear over water security. Tamil Nadu’s farmers and political groups argue that a dam at Mekedatu could reduce downstream flow to the state and hurt the Cauvery delta, whereas the Karnataka government says the project is needed for Bengaluru’s drinking water needs. Farmers in Tamil Nadu recently stepped up river protests in Tiruchirappalli.

The Mekedatu project has a long and conflicted history since the Karnataka government first explored building a dam at the gorge in 1948.