[haria]

Originally Posted by pratyush6

I traveled to Mysore yesterday and was back by night. But this time, I used the trains. It was a bit more expensive as I booked 2nd AC tickets but infinitesimally more relaxing than the drive.

Absolutely! I used to enjoy bangalore -mysore thru road few years back, but with almost bumper to bumper traffic these days (especially on a sunday night return back to blr), trains are infinitesimally better!

You should have booked 3A. Most of the time I have found almost the entire bogie sparasely occupied, that it is like 2A , minus of course the charge, which is at least couple of hundred rupees cheaper!

UBER/Auto is quiet good for local travel, even buses are quite good. The last couple of times I have been to mysore - Going to Chamundi hills, I preferred to go by the volvo rather than by my car - reason - less parking headaches at chamundi AS well as more enjoyable drive!

[pratyush6]

Originally Posted by haria

You should have booked 3A. Most of the time I have found almost the entire bogie sparasely occupied, that it is like 2A , minus of course the charge!

Completely agree with that. Even the 3A was empty. It's just that on the irctc website it never gives you that picture On the website it looks as though the train is full, perhaps due to the low quota or something?

[shankar.balan]

Nowadays I think it is just more sensible to go to Coorg or Ooty or anywhere during the week rather than on a weekend.
The increased mobility of the urban Indian and easy availability of cars as a means of transport has caused everyone and their uncle to get on the road any time there is some species of long weekend available and this creates such chaos and crowds that these road trips are better avoided by folks who are "sensitive" to such things!

[schakravarthy]

Had been to Talakad and through a curious turn of events, found myself on the Bangalore-Mysore road yet again, having returned from Bangalore just yesterday.

There's disturbance along quite a few points. Traffic is blocked along the stretch passing through Mandya.

From Bangalore side:



From Mysore side:




Though I didn't come across any 'live' ones, there were many a smouldering remains of a road block:









Be careful folks. If possible, choose alternate roads. My bottom still twitches when I remember the 10 hour Mysore-Bangalore journey of mine a couple of years ago during one such agitation.

[haria]

Originally Posted by schakravarthy

Be careful folks. If possible, choose alternate roads. My bottom still twitches when I remember the 10 hour Mysore-Bangalore journey of mine a couple of years ago during one such agitation.

I can related to this, but in tirupathi road. This was during the demonstration/strike etc. for AP/Telangana splitting. When we were coming back from tirupathi, was held up at multiple points and each was a long long wait. Finally after doing a bit of rugged driving thru obscure and unheard of village roads (if one call call them that), finally managed to exit AP. Boy, were we relieved to see good ole KA border!

[binand]

Originally Posted by schakravarthy

There's disturbance along quite a few points. Traffic is blocked along the stretch passing through Mandya.

This:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...cle9074839.ece

(ruling came earlier today).

[haria]

Originally Posted by binand

This:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...cle9074839.ece

(ruling came earlier today).

Oh man! Next few days is going to be dicey traveling in blr-mysore highway.

[balenoed_]

Heck! I am at Mysore and was planning for an early morning(4am) drive back to Bangalore. Hearing these news only now. Planning to go ahead with my plan.

Hoping there will not be any issues that early in the morning.

[airbus]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

Heck! I am at Mysore and was planning for an early morning(4am) drive back to Bangalore. Hearing these news only now. Planning to go ahead with my plan.

Hoping there will not be any issues that early in the morning.

We have reached Bengaluru from Ooty at around 9.00 pm. Did not encounter any issue on Mysore Road, was surprised to see comparatively less traffic during a long weekend. In Mandya, Google map advised us to take a diversion and we followed. However, in few places we saw cops and now I realize that traffic slowdown was due to protest, but cops were able to manage that.

[shankar.balan]

Isnt this ridiculous that a bunch of oddfellows can hold up one of the nation's roads to ransom and inconvenience so many people? They seem to not realize that by antagonizing the public who can in some sense bring some additional contribution to the local economy, they are literally alienating public opinion.

This blind parochialism fuelled by evil politicians seems to only get worse, year on year.

One more thing, anyone who controls the "upstream" portion of a flowing water source, seems to have "god given rights" to choose to release water to people "downstream".

What sort of logic is that? Water is a common resource and must be shared by those who require it! While I can empathise with the farmers who need this water here, what about the poor fellas who need it equally down stream?

Imagine if the Chinese went and dammed the Brahmaputra? What would happen?

And the best part is that they stage these Rasta Rokos only on a public road, impacting all the tax payers who use it, the road transport that brings essential supplies and public transport which affects other members of the public! This is crazy and seems to be a never ending thing! About time they just created a road to bypass all these parochial little Channapatna, Ramanagara, Maddur, Mandya type towns to facilitate free and smooth movement of traffic for those who just want to get from A to B.

Anyone wishing to visit these little towns can do so on the normal road, but the vast majority I am sure, will opt for a high speed toll road to get to their destinations - more so especially, given the type of nonsense being perpetrated by these lumpen elements on the existing roads.


Seriously!

[binand]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Isnt this ridiculous that a bunch of oddfellows can hold up one of the nation's roads to ransom and inconvenience so many people? They seem to not realize that by antagonizing the public who can in some sense bring some additional contribution to the local economy, they are literally alienating public opinion.

These are farmers. They don't need the contribution to local economy from passing traffic - what they need is crop protection.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

One more thing, anyone who controls the "upstream" portion of a flowing water source, seems to have "god given rights" to choose to release water to people "downstream".

What sort of logic is that? Water is a common resource and must be shared by those who require it! While I can empathise with the farmers who need this water here, what about the poor fellas who need it equally down stream?

I don't think that is true. I am sure nobody is against a fair water sharing agreement. Indeed, for Cauvery such an agreement is in place already and it works well in years when there is ample rains. The problem arises when monsoon fails, like it has this year. Then, three options exist:

1. The upstream guys use up all available water, the downstream guys get nothing.
2. All available water goes downstream, upstream guys get nothing.
3. Share water based on some formula so that both upstream and downstream guys get something but not as much as they need.

Which is the right approach? I am not qualified to answer. A shallow reading might suggest #3 is, but that would only lead to crop failure both upstream and downstream and hence doesn't help anyone. This is the conundrum that all water sharing agreements across the world have to deal with.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Imagine if the Chinese went and dammed the Brahmaputra? What would happen?

Oh they've done it. Read up about the Zangmu Dam. They are building more dams, and soon India wouldn't get any Brahmaputra water if we were to listen to the worst-case scenarists.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

And the best part is that they stage these Rasta Rokos only on a public road, impacting all the tax payers who use it, the road transport that brings essential supplies and public transport which affects other members of the public!

It is a reality in India (and probably elsewhere) that unless you are disruptive, your protest will be ignored.

[xotiq]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Isnt this ridiculous that a bunch of oddfellows can hold up one of the nation's roads to ransom and inconvenience so many people? They seem to not realize that by antagonizing the public who can in some sense bring some additional contribution to the local economy, they are literally alienating public opinion.

This blind parochialism fuelled by evil politicians seems to only get worse, year on year.

One more thing, anyone who controls the "upstream" portion of a flowing water source, seems to have "god given rights" to choose to release water to people "downstream".

What sort of logic is that? Water is a common resource and must be shared by those who require it! While I can empathise with the farmers who need this water here, what about the poor fellas who need it equally down stream?

Imagine if the Chinese went and dammed the Brahmaputra? What would happen?

And the best part is that they stage these Rasta Rokos only on a public road, impacting all the tax payers who use it, the road transport that brings essential supplies and public transport which affects other members of the public! This is crazy and seems to be a never ending thing! About time they just created a road to bypass all these parochial little Channapatna, Ramanagara, Maddur, Mandya type towns to facilitate free and smooth movement of traffic for those who just want to get from A to B.

Anyone wishing to visit these little towns can do so on the normal road, but the vast majority I am sure, will opt for a high speed toll road to get to their destinations - more so especially, given the type of nonsense being perpetrated by these lumpen elements on the existing roads.


Seriously!

Shockked or Shocked? Any agitation across India, be it for reservation/quota or water related, have typically targeted railway tracks/highways. This is no different. Agree that it really inconveniences people.

Leaving aside the dead storage, both KRS and Kabini are far from full. Recently, there have been some coverage on the alarming water crisis which is on track unless it rains more.

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/b.../1/753480.html

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper...cle9041910.ece

[procrj]

Originally Posted by xotiq

Leaving aside the dead storage, both KRS and Kabini are far from full.

Most of the big reservoirs in KA are far from full based on the below data


Source: http://dmc.kar.nic.in/RL.pdf (it's updated quite regularly)

Slightly OT but I have been following this FB page called TN weatherman and his analysis has been spot on many many times.



Source:Accuweather report.

The AP-TN Coastal belt and even the river basins of AP/TN/KA are in for some pounding later this year with Chennai being high on the hitlist. Having said that, I think BBMP needs to get its act together and sort the storm water drain issues in Bangalore else we might be in for a stormy ride.

[balenoed_]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

Heck! I am at Mysore and was planning for an early morning(4am) drive back to Bangalore. Hearing these news only now. Planning to go ahead with my plan.

Hoping there will not be any issues that early in the morning.

I went ahead in driving through Mandya this morning no matter what.

It was a hectic weekend drive for me. Had to go to Kerala on Saturday, and half way through somewhere near Mysore, heard that there is a Hartal in Kannur district of Kerala, the place where I had to go to. And a hartal in Kerala is a celebration as most of you know. I did not want to risk, hence took a detour from the usual Virajpet route to Madikeri, then Bhagamandala, Talacavery and ending up in the adjacent district (Kasargod) of Kannur up in North. After waiting out at a relatives house there, went on to drive down to Kannur later in the day.

And then yesterday while coming back, this news about Mandya strike. God! It was too much and was not interested to look for another detour or wait it out. So decided to drive through. Luckily the protesters were not awake I guess as I could just drive through without any issues.

I am just wondering, if they do this to protest against the Supreme court order, then aren't these actions what they do fall into "Contempt of the Court".

[itwasntme]

My colleagues just reached Hosur on way from Bangalore to Dindigul. Spoke of local unrest in Hosur but no major complications. They also saw a lot of TN trucks bound for KA stopped at multiple places within TN itself. Think truckers are also worried on what they will find once they cross TN-KA border.

Shudder to think of the likely mess in the next 10 days with Bakri Id on Monday / Tuesday and Onam on Wednesday. A LOT of people are going to be on the roads with family and friends.