BENGALURU: The second leg of the Congress’ ‘Namma Neeru, Namma Hakku’ (Our water, Our right), which resumed on Sunday after ending abruptly in Ramanagara on January 13, when the third wave of the Covid-19 had peaked, reached the city on Tuesday morning, covering a distance of 15.8 km. It will culminate at the National College Ground in Basavanagudi in Bengaluru on March 3, after covering a total distance of 79.8 km.
KPCC president DK Shivakumar and former CM Siddaramaiah, are leading the padayatra, demanding implementation of the Mekedatu project to provide drinking water to Bengaluru. The rally, which started from Poornima Convention Hall near Pattanagere Metro station on Mysuru Road, proceeded towards Nayandahalli, before heading towards Outer Ring Road.
The Bengaluru Traffic Police had closed one carriageway to facilitate the rally, leading to chaos on Mysuru Road. Also, a large number of people from across Bengaluru had come by their vehicles to participate, which they had parked on the road side, causing further inconvenience.
Speaking to reporters here, Shivakumar claimed that apartment associations, factory owners, industrialists and common people had come forward to join the fight for water, cutting across party lines. As the padayatra entered Bengaluru, there was some commotion and traffic snarls in parts of South Bengaluru, including Mysuru Road, Banashankari, and surrounding areas.
A large number of flexes, banners and cutouts were put up along the roadside, along with balloons and firecrackers at every junction en route. A senior BBMP official said that at many places, flexes, banners and even cut-outs have been put up illegally. “The zonal officials concerned were told to remove illegal flexes and banners,” he said.