Mandya district of the state has been shut with over 700 state buses taken off the road. Mandya district of the state has been shut with over 700 state buses taken off the road.

Following the Supreme Court’s order directing the Karnataka government to release 15,000 cusecs of Cauvery water daily to Tamil Nadu, for the next 10 days, farmers in south Karnataka have resorted to protests, burning tyres and blocking a major highway that runs through the state.

Cauvery Horata Samiti, the organisation that has been spear-heading the protests, called for a bandh on Tuesday. Mandya district of the state has been shut with over 700 state buses taken off the road. Schools and establishments in the district were also shut. A group of lawyers in the state also joined the protest in support of the farmers, news agency ANI reported.

Tourist spots such as the Brindavan Gardens and the KRS reservoir have been shut for four days, till September 9.

Agitated farmers and activists belonging to pro-Kannada outfits blocked Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway as protests intensified in the wake of the Supreme Court order.

WATCH VIDEO: Cauvery Water Dispute: Why Karnataka & Tamil Nadu Have Failed To Find Solutions

Prohibitory orders have been clamped around Krishnarajasagar Dam and entry of visitors to it prohibited till September nine, as the Cauvery row hotted up after the Supreme Court direction to Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for the next 10 days to address the plight of the farmers there.

Protesters also mobbed and ransacked several government offices in Mandya forcing their shut down, while attendance at government offices remained thin, police said.

Cauvery water issue: Protest against Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa in Mandya (Karnataka). pic.twitter.com/dR0Z9G8xo1 — ANI (@ANI_news) September 6, 2016

WATCH: Jai Karnataka activists vandalize PWD office in Mandya protesting against SC order on Cauvery water matter pic.twitter.com/wxybbjjdaC — ANI (@ANI_news) September 6, 2016

What the Supreme Court said on Monday

The apex court directed Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu for the next 10 days. This, to ensure that the samba crops in Tamil Nadu survive. “Keeping in view the gesture shown by the Karnataka and the plight that has been projected with agony by Tamil Nadu, we think it appropriate to direct that 15 cusecs of water per day be released at Biligundulu by Karnataka for 10 days,” a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Uday U Lalit said.

The bench also directed the Tamil Nadu government to approach the supervisory committee within three days for the release of Cauvery water as per the final order of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal. While the court will now hear the matter only on September 16, it asked the supervisory committee to pass orders on Tamil Nadu’s plea in 10 days.

Siddaramaiah calls for an all-party meet

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has called a meeting of all political parties to discuss the way forward following the Supreme Court’s Monday order. The meeting is likely to take place this evening, where the chief minister will also take stock of the protests arising in the state.

“We are yet to receive a copy of the Supreme Court order. Once we examine it we will consult all parties and take a decision,” Siddaramaiah said this morning. The Karnataka government has been arguing in court that it does not have sufficient water to meet the needs of its own state and Tamil Nadu. This, on account of insufficient rainfall during the monsoon. The Karnataka government argued that it had only 51 TMC of water in its reservoirs which can service the drinking water needs of just south Karnataka.

(With inputs from PTI)

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