Mangaluru: Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of Karnataka, U T Khader, addressing the media on Friday September 12, said that he will urge the government and the technical experts of the state major irrigation department to respond to the ‘Yettinahole – Uttara Needi’ campaign (Yettinahole – Give Answers) that has been initiated to solve the aspects revolving to the project.
‘Yettinahole – Uttara Needi ‘ is a set of 10 questions posed to the elected representatives, by the Sahyadri Samrakshana Sanchaya that they want answered to clear the doubts of the people of the Daskhina Kannada on the ongoing Yettinahole project.
When the media raised questions against the project, U T Khader did not respond with any detail, instead said that he will speak to the Chief Minster as well as the experts working on the project to resolve the issue at once. However he affirmed that no one can stop the Yettinahole project.
Cross questioning the media, Khader stated that the project was sanctioned in the assembly during the tenure of former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda. Why were BJP representatives silent on the issue back then?” he stressed.
U T Khader said the doubts will be cleared by September 19 – the deadline given to the elected representatives to answer the 10 questions on the project posed by Sahyadri Samrakshana Sanchaya. Few days back Sahyadri Samrakshana Sanchaya had posed 10 questions that are as follows:
1. Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, a central government concern, has assessed availability of water from Yettinahole project at 9.55 tmc. Out of this, only 1.25 tmc would be available for being diverted eastward as per this report. As against this assessment, government is going ahead with project for 24 tmc water. Does this mean that the government wants to replenish shortfall by diverting Kumaradhara and Netravati rivers?
2. Karnataka Irrigation Corporation has estimated water availability from Yettinahole project area as 24 tmc. This entire water would be routed to distant districts without leaving anything for local agricultural and other needs. In affect, about one lac crore rupees would be spent to get 0.85 tmc of water as per report of IISc. Has a detailed study been conducted to find out which version is right, and is someone who has committed blunder in calculations being made to face punitive action?
3. The project requires clearance from forest department and bio-diversity board, both of which are headed by Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister, B Ramanath Rai. Having been vested with power to reject permission, has he conducted detailed study?
4. Kolar district in-charge minister, U T Khader, had earlier talked about satiating water needs of Kolar through Eremallappa project. He should oppose Yettinahole project, which is grossly insufficient for his district. In normal course, Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts get rain of about 200 tmc every year, and a permanent irrigation project, if implemented, can easily meet water requirement of 6 tmc needed by these districts.;
5. The project needs lot of electricity, and Dakshina Kannada district, where PCPIR,SEZ,smart city project etc are being implemented will be requiring million litres of water and power. At present, the district is reeling under power cuts. What are the plans to meet this requirement?
6. Who will be held responsible for the loss if one lac crore invested for the project if it proves to be a failure?
7. What about conservation of elephant corridor project, Mangluru-Bengaluru railway tracks and national highway which pass through near this project area?
8. What about the ill affects of the project on fishing? Has minister Abhaychandra Jain made a study on this?
9. Will not diverting Yettinahole water to Palar river or Hemavati river, a tributary of Kaveri river, give rise to inter-state water disputes?
10. Will Tamil Nadu force us to slump to our knees for executing any project in these rivers or even River Netravati?
