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BANGALORE, Feb 5: Wary of a repeat of deadly 1991 riots, many businesses and schools in India's technology hub of Bangalore shut early on Monday after a tribunal ruled on a centuries-old water dispute between two states.
Several technology firms closed down their offices, fearing trouble.
Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka, a southern state in dispute with neighbouring Tamil Nadu over access to water from their shared Cauvery river.
A 1991 interim court order telling Karnataka to release 205 billion cubic feet of water from Cauvery river to Tamil Nadu sparked riots against Tamils in Bangalore leaving more than 18 people dead.
On Monday, the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal ruled that Karnataka state will get 270 billion cubic feet of water and Tamil Nadu will receive 419 billion.
Both sides got less than they had wanted.
The Karnataka government had no immediate reaction to the verdict and called for an all-party meeting to address the issue.
But there were signs of unease on Bangalore's streets despite the presence of thousands of riot police.
“Our teachers asked us to go home, there could be violence,” said Vivek, a student walking from school.
MINOR DISTURBANCES: There were some protests against the ruling on a major highway out of Bangalore, witnesses said.
“We have heard of some minor disturbances in some part of the state and we are dealing with it,” Karnataka's Director General of Police K.R. Srinivasan said.
“Overall, the situation is well under control.”
Technology firms, including US-based outsourcing services firm Perot Systems Corp and Biocon Ltd, India's largest biotechnology firm, shut down operations soon after the verdict.
“We have decided to close down early today as a precautionary step. We are all networked ... we will all work from home. The work should not suffer,” said a spokeswoman for Perot Systems.
Other IT majors like Infosys Technologies Ltd, India's second largest software services exporter, and number three Wipro Ltd said it was business as usual.
Tamils form at least 25 per cent of Bangalore's six million population.
The Karnataka Tamils Federation wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and local officials to provide security to Tamils living in Bangalore and other parts of the Cauvery basin.
“Many Tamils suffered during the last riots. Police should instil confidence by taking preventive steps,” Federation President A.P. Shanmuga Sundaram said.
Experts said the dispute could still linger for years.—Reuters
