Google, Walmart ask Bengaluru staff to work at home amid Cauvery water dispute

Calls for protests over a longstanding river water sharing dispute between two south Indian states have forced global firms including Walmart and Alphabet’s Google to ask employees in Bengaluru to work from home on Tuesday.

Farmers and activists have called for a strike in Bengaluru, dubbed India’s Silicon Valley, demanding state authorities to refrain from releasing more water from the Cauvery river to the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu.

Internal memos seen by Reuters showed multinational firms such as Google, Walmart, IBM and Accenture have advised employees to work from home and avoid any non-essential commuting during Tuesday’s strike.