State government makes no move to clear objections to Yettinahole project

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Nov 19, 2015 : Admitting that protests against Yettinahole project in this part of the state has come to its notice, the Karnataka govt., it has not made attempt to hold dialogue with those opposing the project here. Maintaining the project in no way will cause water shortage in this coastal district while meeting drinking water needs of parched districts, government cited meetings held in September 2014 and a year later as instances of having engaged with stakeholders. 

In a written reply furnished by M B Patil, minister for water resources to a starred question raised by Ganesh Karnik, chief whip of the opposition in the council on Nov 18,  states that a meeting was held with elected representatives from the coastal region on September 18, 2014 that chief minister Siddaramaiah chaired to clear doubts regarding the project. This was followed by another meeting held at DK Zilla Panchayat auditorium on September 19, 2015.

Noting that the DK district in-charge minister B Ramanath Rai, who also holds the environment, forest and ecology portfolio chaired the September 19 meeting, Patil stated that officials of KNNL - Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd  have provided all information regarding the project at that meeting. The reply however does not shed any light on how miserably the KNNL authorities failed to respond to queries raised by experts opposing the Yettinahole project.

To a query,  on the present status of the project, Patil said the project is being taken up in two stages that entails construction of eight diversion weirs in the first stage and lifting 24.1TMC water to a distribution reservoir near Haravanahalli. The various works in the first phase are divided in to five packages on a turnkey basis and is being implemented at a cost of Rs 3716.51 crore. Tenders have been invited for the project and work is under progress, Patil noted.

The second phase entails setting up a 274-km long gravity flow canal including a 10.5km long elevated canal duct from Haravanahalli and taking water to the 5.78TMC capacity storage reservoir near Bairagondalu village. Water will be distributed from this reservoir to areas that are scheduled to receive benefit from the project by way of gravity flow or feeder canals. The estimated cost of the second phase is Rs 9403.56 crore and detailed survey is underway.