Life will come to a stop in Koppal and the adjacent town of Bhagyanagar, tomorrow the 24th February 2026, as a whole of the district "voluntary bandh" is issued to oppose the proposed integrated steel plant and the expansion of polluting industries by the Baldota Group (MSPL). The protest, following the 1-year revival, which was carried out by the Gavimath seer, has attracted the cooperation of religion, the peasants, as well as local associations on the same issues with the closing of schools and rescheduling of university examinations.
Schools Closed and Exams Postponed
With the huge audience expected on Tuesday and as a result any changes in public transport will get people out walking about by force, the Association of Private Schools in Koppal has indeed promised official support for the bandh. At present it is announcing that all its affiliated primary and high schools will remain closed tomorrow.
Moreover, local educational authorities and universities have agreed to postpone examination dates from February 24. To avoid any further danger to students and staff, this is confirmed. Parents and students should consult with their respective institutions on the new exam dates.
Although emergency services, hospitals, and pharmacies are expected to remain operational, the strike is likely to be widespread across both public transport and commercial establishments, with protesters plotting to block major roads and bus depots from 7:00 AM onwards.
Baldota Issue: A Fight against Environmental degradation, and Health
At the heart of the unrest is the proposed ₹54,000 crore integrated steel plant by Baldota Steel and Power Ltd (BSPL). Although advocates claim the project will invigorate the local economy and provide livelihoods, a powerful force behind the Koppal Bachao Andolana and Parisara Hitarakshana Vedike has also suggested the district is already a ‘pollution graveyard’. That unrest, which has come on heels of 115-day long sit-in protest, illustrates acute alarm about:
- Air and Water Quality: Protesters complain that today the sponge iron units have already made the air unbearable and polluted the Tungabhadra River.
- Health Hazards: Religious leaders, including Panditaradhya Shivacharya Swamiji, have pointed to increasing asthma, cancer, and other physical disabilities in villages in proximity to the industrial areas.
- Agricultural Impact: Farmers have presented damaged crops under claims that industrial dust has made huge areas of former fertile land wasteland.
The Great Rally and Faith
The bandh will be commenced by a rally of a bike and auto-rickshaw at 7am, and a grand protest march will begin from 10am by the Gavi Mutt. The march will take place on several major roads, including the Clock Tower and Ashoka Circle, and will culminate with a large-scale crowd gathering at the CMC complex.
After the influential Abhinava Gavisiddeshwara Swamiji of Gavi Mutt previously gave the government a deadline to shelve the project, tomorrow’s bandh is viewed as a “do-or-die” moment for the movement. The district itself is being patrolled so that no one goes untoward, additional police officers are on hand at important transit stations.
