Mangaluru: The Sahyadri Samrakshana Sanchaya held a press meet at Hotel Pathumudi here, on August 8.
Addressing the mediapersons, president of Sahyadri Samrakshana Sanchaya Dinesh Holla said that the people of the coastal district and Sakaleshpur are against the Yethinahole project. But the government has started the river diversion project and the Sahyadri Samrakshana Sanchaya condemns.
He further said that the concerned authorities did not take any permission from the Forest Department of Kumbaradi, Sakaleshpur, Kesaganahalli, Hebbasale and Kuduvarahalli before chopping the trees and starting the Yethinahole river diversion work by making roads. Many people have lost their property but the government did not compensate them, their land has been encroached by force. In 48 acres of agriculture land in Ankihalli, Hebbanalli, Hebbasale and Sathinale, 16 ft pipes costing of Rs 1,200 crore have been stored.
Without preparing any blueprints, the government has bought pipes and stored them in thousands of acres of land. The government says that they are trying to save the elephant corridor and on the other hand, they are utilizing the Kagenire forest area, which comes under the elephant corridor. Environmentalist T V Ramachandra in his report confirmed that only 9 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic) of water will be available and not 24 TMC. Now, the government is trying to get the remaining 15TMC water by including the Kumaradhara river to the project.
The project will also affect the Bengaluru – Mangaluru National Highway and Railway line. He also said that the farmers in the state are committing suicide but the government is not taking any measures to help the farmers. For the Yethinahole project, the government has encroached the land of the farmers. Now, the farmers who have been affected do not have any other means to lead their lives.
“The people in DK have maintained silent in this regard. Even the MLAs, MPs and the political leaders are supporting the project. Nalin Kumar before winning the election said that he will not allow the Yethinahole project to come up but now he too has maintained silence. The district minister in-charge says that he does not have any connection to the Yethinahole project.”
“Recently, the district had no water supply and it took 5 days to fix one pipe. We imagine as to how many years it would take to complete the Yethinahole project! This project is to fool the people of the coastal district,” he said.
Members of Sahyadri Samrakshana Sanchaya Harish Adyar, Dinesh Kodialbail, Sapna Noronha, Sashidhar Shetty, Rajesh Devadiga, Dinesh Pai and Madhav Ullal were also present.