Continued Funding For Yettinahole Project: Activists Not Happy With The Budget

March 6: Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has set aside Rs 1,500 crore in the state budget 2020-21 for the Yettinahole Integrated Drinking Water Project. This has riled activists in Dakshina Kannada district.
Dinesh Holla, coordinator of Sahyadri Sanchaya that has been in the forefront of fight against the project, said that this project will go on for another 25 years with no tangible end result in sight as the Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd that was first tasked with implementing the project and VJNL now implementing the project have both admitted there is no surplus water available at Yettinahole that can be diverted for potable use.
Holla mentioned that this project is perpetual ‘ATM’ for governments irrespective of the political dispensation at the Vidhana Soudha.
He has dared VJNL authorities to show availability of water in the catchment areas of the project – namely Kadagarahalli, Hiradanahalli, Hebbasale, Heggade and Maranahalli which were blasted during the project implementation stage as there is no sign of water. This blasting had a major impact on the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats.
After the implementation of project, Dakshina Kannada district was declared as drought-hit district for the first time in its history. The ongoing excavation works has destroyed the Shola forests and have triggered landslides.