War for water: Activists to intensify Nethravati stir

Mangalore: The government may have decided to ignore environmental concerns and go ahead with diverting water from the Yettinahole river to Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Bengaluru rural, but the fight to scuttle the project seems to be far from over. Activists who are against the diversion of the Yettinahole, a tributary of Netravathi, have now decided to come together under one banner to  make their struggle more effective.

“We have convened a meeting of all groups opposing the project and of fishermen’s, farmers’ and builders’ associations on Sunday in Mangalore to strengthen our movement. People from all political parties and organisations are backing us,” said Sahyadri Samrakshana Sanchaya convener, Dinesh Holla, adding that the battle could now be led under the banner of the Netravathi Ulisi Okkuta.

Ridiculing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s claim that the Yettinahole project had nothing to do with the diversion of the Netravathi  river, he pointed out that  Yettinahole was a tributary of the bigger river. “This is just the beginning of the Netravathi diversion project,” he alleged.

“The government says the water will be diverted only during the monsoon. But is this possible? Will the people of Kolar and other areas let go of their supply for the rest of the year?” asked activist, M G Hegde, claiming that the government was trying to hoodwink people. Alleging that the state was bowing to the contractors’ lobby backing the project, the activists claimed the meeting convened by the CM in Bengaluru to discuss it, was organised by contractors.