Amid protests, CM lays foundation for Yettinahole project at Chikkaballapur
Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)
Bangalore, Mar 3: Despite widespread protests, chief minister Siddaramaiah on Monday March 3 laid the foundation for the controversial Yettinahole project, which is meant to supply water to water-starved districts of Hassan, Bangalore Rural, and Chikkaballapur by diverting water of Netravati river in Dakshina Kannada.
The foundation stone laying ceremony was held at RMV ground near BGS World School in Chikkaballapur.
Siddaramaiah symbolically laid foundation stone for Yettinahole project in the presence of union ministers, K H Muniyappa, Veerappa Moily, T B Jayachandra, and others. MLA, Sudhakar, delivered the welcome address. Veerappa Moily, who represents Chikkaballapur Lok Sabha constituency, also addressed the gathering.
Addressing the gathering, Siddaramaiah said that the Yettinahole project was highly important, and that the government had conducted a scientific study before approving the project. "There is no water resource near Kolar and Chikkaballapur, hence this project is important. People of this region are being afflicted with diseases due to water contaminated with fluoride and arsenic. The project is expected to bring 400 TMC of water to this region and solve the crisis faced by the people," he said.
"The protest against the project is unnecessary, as it will not affect the people of Dakshina Kannada district. I request the people to call off their protest," he appealed.
"The government is committed to provide clean drinking water to the people of Kolar and Chikkaballapur. We will start this project and complete it too. Some people say this project will not go on, do not listen to them," he urged.
He also appreciated Dr Veerappa Moily for pursuing this project with the government and getting it approved.
Protests
It is said that over 560 government buses were diverted from their routine operations, to bring people from far off villages to the venue of the programme. This caused lot of inconvenience to villagers as availability of buses for travel to other places was scarce.
At the same time, a large number of protestors demonstrated against this project at Chikkaballapur. They wore black badges and took out a procession in the town, apart from raising slogans against the government's decision to go ahead with Yettinahole project. They entered into heated arguments with police.
The protestors were led by former minister, Bache Gowda,former MLAs, Jyothi Reddy, Permanent Irrigation Project Committee president, Anjaneya Reddy, K B Nagaraju etc. Angered by the arrests, some protestors also smashed wind shields of buses. Over 500 protestors including the above leaders were arrested by the police in this connection.
The project will be implemented by the department of water resources, while Karnataka Irrigation Corporation Ltd happens to be the executing agency.
Even as people of Dakshina Kannada district have wholeheartedly supported the district bandh call given by Karavali Jeevanadhi Netravati Rakshana Samiti and other organizations against this project, and despite the fact that several senior Congress leaders are supporting this call, the government is determined to go ahead with the project.
No political gain, says Veerappa Moily
Clarifying his position, union minister, M Veerappa Moily, who represents Chikkaballapur Lok Sabha constituency, said that this project is being implemented to permanently quench the thirst of five districts, and that there is no question of reaping any political benefit out of this move.
Speaking to reporters in the city on Sunday March 3, Moily said that this project is expected to be completed in five years, and that the project plans to utilize a part of over 2,000 tmc water which gets emptied into Arabian Sea through River Netravati and hence becomes unavailable for the use of people, for the benefit of draught-hit districts of the state.
He insisted that this is not Netravati River Diversion Project as being made out, and that some water is just being utilized from out of the subsidiaries of this river. He insisted that water from this project will never be used to fill any dam or tanks, and that it is not meant even for irrigation purpose. He therefore, stoutly held himself against holding of protest against this project by people who he said, seem not to have properly studied it.