Delhi green tribunal refuses Karnataka Govt plea on Yettinahole

Mangalore Today News Network

Sakleshpur, July 28, 2016 : Reports are rife that the Principal Bench of the NGT, National Green Tribunal in Delhi on July 27, Wednesday turned down the plea of the State government for re-transfer of cases related to the Yettinahole project to the Southern Zone Bench in Chennai. The Principal Bench has posted four cases for hearing on August 8.

On the plea of Kishore Kumar, C. Yattiraju, Purushottam Chitrapura and K.N. Somashekar, a Division Bench of the tribunal, Southern Zone, on July 4 ordered transfer of four cases questioning the implementation of the Yettinahole Integrated Drinking Water Project in the eco-sensitive Western Ghats from Chennai to Delhi. Through this project, the State government intends to collect 24 tmcft of water to meet drinking water needs in the parched regions of Tumakuru, Chickkaballapur and Bengaluru Rural districts.

The petitioners had expressed distrust over the Division Bench’s delay in deciding the maintainability of their petitions and sought transfer.  According to Somashekar, Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited — the agency implementing the project — on Wednesday July 27, asked the Principal Bench to re-transfer the four petitions to the Southern Zone. The Principal Bench turned down the plea and said that it will hear the four petitions on August 8 as there was no second bench in Chennai.

NOTE : AAP-Mangalore has organized an important Press Conference TODAY on July 28, 2016 at 11:15 AM at Press Club, Mangalore.  Topic: Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal’s rejection of the interim plea by Karnataka government