Normal life in Wayanad was affected by the dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the United Democratic Front (UDF) on Thursday seeking a law to insulate people of the forested district from the Supreme Court’s order to impose a 1-km buffer zone around ecologically sensitive wildlife reserves and protected forests.
Attendance was poor in government offices. Only 40 out of the 141 employees turned up for duty at the collectorate, Additional District Magistrate N.I. Shaju said. Close to 30% attendance was recorded in taluk offices at Mananthavady, Sulthan Bathery, and Vythiri, he added.
Private buses and taxis stayed off the road. KSRTC operated 12 of the 67 long-route services, including those to Coimbatore, Bengaluru, and Mysore from its Sulthan Bathery depot.
Shops and business establishments remained closed, as merchants associations also expressed solidarity with the protest.
A long queue of vehicles was seen at Tholpetty, Madhur and Muthanga check posts on the Kerala-Karnataka border. Hartal supporters blocked a few vehicles at Sulthan Bathery and Meenangadi in the morning. No untoward incidents were reported in the district, sources in the police said.
Hartal supporters also took out marches.
