HOSUR: After being closed for transportation at the height of protests over Cauvery river water dispute, the busy Hosur-Bengaluru stretch on NH 7 was finally reopened on Wednesday morning – after a gap of 29 days.
The borders were opened at around 10.30 am, much to the relief of hundreds of truckers and bus operators, besides hundreds of ordinary people including from Chennai, Coimbatore and other places, who routinely travel between the two states.
At Zuzuvadi, the end of Tamil Nadu side of the border, there were about 50 police personnel, led by Krishnagiri superintendent of police Magesh Kumar, as the vehicles bearing Karnataka registration began rolling in slowly in the morning. There were an equal number of personnel at Attibele, the Karnataka side of the border.
With the dispute yet to die down, both authorities are taking small, tentative steps. “Police are assuring protection to vehicles bearing Karnataka registration. We will monitor the progress of vehicular traffic, and resume it to normal once we are satisfied,” said SP Magesh Kumar.
The latest round of dispute over Cauvery waters quickly spiralled into a clash between the neighbours; buses, trucks and private vehicles came under attack in both states, leading to suspension of operation across the border on September 6.
For all these days, the buses stopped at respective borders from where the passengers had to walk across to catch another bus from there. Truckers had no option, but to wait. The ones who used private vehicles, meanwhile, seemingly turned to rail travel – the trains to Bengaluru have all been full during these days.