Mangaluru/Hassan: In a blow for green activists, the South Zone bench of the National Green Tribunal at Chennai has dismissed the plea to stay the Yettinahole project filed by Somashekar K.N.
The Yettinahole project was started by the state government to divert water from Yettinahole - a tributary of Netravathi to parched areas of Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Bengaluru Rural. This project was opposed by environmentalists and people in Malnad and Coastal Karnataka who felt that it may affect the Western Ghats and flow of Netravathi river.
Giving details about the case, Mr Somashekar told Deccan Chronicle that the tribunal had dismissed the stay plea saying it was barred by limitations. “Our plea has been dismissed. We are yet to receive the order copy,” he said. However, this has not disheartened Mr Somashekhar who has been fighting the case from the beginning.
“I respect the law. This is not the end of our fight but the beginning. I will consult lawyers and other experts and decide our future move. We will not sit quiet but continue our fight more vigorously. Our legal fight will continue,” he said.
“We will fight back and I am sure that within 4-5 months we will get a good order in our favour and the project will be stalled,” he said.
Project to get forest clearance soon
The state government proposed Yettinahole Drinking Water project will soon get clearance from the forest department, Hassan which will pave way for construction of weirs across eight streams in the Western Ghats by axing hundreds of trees in Sakleshpur.
The forest department is busy getting the clearance ready and soon, department officials will recommend to the state government to clear trees in 13. 93 hectares of forest land intended for the project. A senior department official told Deccan Chronicle that since Yettinahole project is aimed at supplying drinking water, “We have to give clearance for drinking water projects for the work to begin at the site.”
But, the official refused to divulge details about the number of trees to be felled for constructing weirs at the project site. It is estimated that Saklespur range alone would lose about 5,500 trees for the project. The water from wiers will be diverted to districts such as Tumkuru, Kolar, Chikkaballapur among other dry districts.
