New Delhi, Aug. 13 -- Banks and other essential services are expected to remain operational during the statewide bandh in Karnataka on Thursday, scheduled from 6 am to 6 pm.

The statewide bandh comes after the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) directed Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of water every day to Tamil Nadu for 15 days starting August 12.

Vatal Nagaraj, convener of the Kannada Chalavali Vatal Paksha, said the protest would go ahead despite the water-sharing order. "We will observe Bandh at any cost. I appeal to everyone to support our call for strike," he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Bengaluru is expected to remain largely unaffected on Thursday, 13 August, despite a Karnataka bandh called by Kannada org...