All the business establishments remained closed in Balehonnur following the bandh call given by Kasturirangan Varadi Virodi Samiti opposing the implementation of Kasturirangan report on the conservation of the Western Ghats.
A large number of people participated in the protest rally from Markandeshwara temple to Rotary Circle in Balehonnur.
Till noon, none of the business establishments, petrol bunks or banks were opened. Schools and colleges had declared a holiday. Only a few vehicles travelled on the roads.
Addressing the protesters, Adichunchanagiri Mutt Sringeri head seer Gunanatha Swami said that Kasturirangan report will be a death knell for Malnad.
“There is a need to protest against the implementation of the recommendations. The people in Malnad are aware of how to conserve the environment. We do not require any industries in the region. The government should not allow the implementation of recommendations which are harmful to Malnad,” he added.
Environmentalist Vittal Hegde said that the Kasturirangan report recommendations are unscientific. As many as 147 villages come under ecologically sensitive areas, he added.
He said that the public should file their objections to the draft on Kasturirangan recommendations. ZP president Sujatha Krishnappa and others were present.