The southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has filed a petition in the country's highest court seeking more water from the Cauvery River.

Tamil Nadu is locked in a bitter dispute with neighbouring Karnataka over sharing water from the Cauvery - which flows through both states.

The Indian Supreme Court ruled last week that Karnataka should release 1.25bn cubic feet of water daily to Tamil Nadu in a dispute that has been dragging on for years.

The Indian Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, invited both states for talks in an effort to resolve the dispute.

Karnataka agreed to release some water following the meeting - but the offer was rejected by Tamil Nadu which said it needed more to save its crops.

Security fears

Meanwhile, tight security arrangements have been made in Bangalore - the capital of Karnataka - ahead of an opposition-sponsored general strike over the row.

Several political parties and farmers' organisations in Karnataka have been protesting over the state government's decision to release water from the river.

Most of the main political parties in the state have supported the strike call.

Men from the Rapid Action Force, which specialises in controlling riots, will be deployed at several places on Thursday, said Bangalore's Police Commissioner HT Sangliana.

There was widespread violence during a similar strike more than 10 years ago in which at least 20 people were killed.