Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (SP)

Beltangady, Dec 31: As expected, the regional empowered committee of the union government's department of forests and environment has recommended to the government to accord its clearance for going ahead with first phase works of Yettinahole drinking water project. With this, the first hurdle has been cleared by Karnataka government in its efforts to continue works on this controversial project.

Although activists from Dakshina Kannada district and others tried to convince the committee against giving its clearance without full scale reality check, the committee did not heed to their efforts. However, it has included contents of the petition filed by anti-Yettinahole activists, which was handed over to the committee at Hassan. It also has placed certain conditions to Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd, which is the executing agency for the project. The committee headed by Amarnath Shetty has posted its report in the website of the central government.

The report mentions that the project will utilize only 8.1 hectares of forest land although the report states requirement of 13.97 acres of land, as the balance land falls under deemed forest falling under revenue department and private land. It said that the third dam across Yettinahalla rivulet and sixth dam across Keri rivulet are the only ones which fall under the area of natural forests, and the balance area comprises forest that has been grown by planting acacia and other saplings.

The committee says that the project is being cleared specifically as it is a drinking water project that proposes to benefit 75.59 lac people living in Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Bengauru rural, Ramanagar, and parts of Tumakuru, Hassan, and Chikkamagaluru districts. It also has suggested for making the water flow through canals instead of pumping from the second and eighth dams of the project.

The other conditions spelt out are that the Nigam has to commit in writing to use water only from June 15 to October 31, and to make arrangement at all pumping stations to ensure flow of 15 cusecs of water through all the eight dams on normal days that are sans floods. It also said that after the project becomes operational, the quantum of water lifted and inflow in each dam should be accounted for on a daily basis for two years, and scientific study on the ill-affects of the project in villages located in lower altitudes. The Nigam also has to commit to grow grass in 78 km area through which pipeline is proposed to be laid, and also to grow a minimum of 10,000 trees which are congenial for animals and birds. "At night, people and vehicular movement and continuing of work inside forest area are barred. Setting off detonations at nights for breaking of boulders should not be conduct, nor mining of sand should be undertaken. It should be ensured that flow of water is maintained between June and November for the people living in lower regions of the valley, it said.

The activists had told the committee that Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd is known to be violating sanction conditions in most of the projects executed by it, and that the auditor general of the government had observed in his report that it has been spending public money without getting specific permissions. The court has declared that this area falls under elephant corridor, and hence projects cannot be executed here. The Nigam has not said anything about requirement of forest land for second phase of the project, thus misleading the concerned. The activists have also contended that pumping of water at the quantities specified by Nigam from smaller dams is impracticable. Besides raising so many other points, they also said that ill-affects of the project on Dakshina Kannada district have not been studied.

K N Somashekhar said that the activists will continue with their legal battle against the project, and felt that it would be impossible for the project to get final, full-fledged permission.

It is generally felt that the recommendation of the committee reflect the support of politicians for the project, although many of them have been acting as if they are fighting against it. Unless the politicians from the coast come out in support of the anti-project movement being carried out here, the project may cast its shadow on the outcome of coming elections, one feels.