Karnataka saw a partial shut down on Saturday as a state-wide bandh was called for by pro-Karnataka organisations in protest of Mahadayi tribunal verdict on Wednesday.
Though the police detained as many as 1500 protestors, the bandh is reported to have been otherwise peaceful.
Educational institutions, shops, multiplexes, markets and industrial hubs remained shut. With BMTC, autorickshaws and taxi union joining the bandh, commuters in Bengaluru city had a difficult time reaching their destinations on time.
Though Namma Metro was supposed to function with reduced number of train services, operations in all the stations were suspended till 5pm, after a group of protestors barged into Mysore road metro station on Saturday morning, with a few flags in hand. The New Indian Express reports that the operations were called off after a group of protestors started rolling on the platform.
S Laitha reports for TNIE that namma metro saw the highest number of commuters on Friday, after many areas in Bengaluru was water clogged and people resorted to taking trains to avoid the heavy traffic congestion.
Metro had 179598 commuters on Friday, which is deemed to be the highest ever which brought in earnings of Rs.34.9 lakh on a single day.
Disruption to normal life began on Monday, with a three-day long BMTC-KSRTC strike, followed by protests and bandh over the Mahadayi issue and a one-day bank strike. The incessant rains that led to severe water clogging in many areas of Bengaluru only added to the woes.
Meera Bharadwaj reports for TNIE that the estimated loss for Karnataka for the week of July 25-30 stands at Rs.8000 cr to Rs.9000 cr.
It is reported that the state has incurred Rs.1000cr to Rs.1500cr loss per day. Rs.600cr to Rs.800cr per day loss is estimated for Bengaluru alone.
M.C. Dinesh, president of Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) told The Hindu that the multiple strikes and bandhs could impact Bengaluru's image as a centre for industry.
"While we support the bandh, there are several problems with having so many off days in the week. We cannot compensate for Saturday’s losses on Sunday as most workers will want to stay at home as their children have a holiday," he was quoted as saying.
The newspaper also reports that city's government hospitals saw few patients coming in for treatment. Though doctors and consultants were able to report to work, technicians and paramedical staff were hit by the bandh.