Mangaluru: The relentless efforts of activists from Dakshina Kannada in protest against the Yetthinahole project has not yielded any kind of result so far. Yet another attempt was made on Sunday, October 9 to make their voices heard by the government.
The protesters from various organizations paraded from DC’s Office to Mangaladevi Temple on a jeep driven chariot of horses symbolising the power of ‘Nava Durgas’, however, each Goddess represented River Nethravathi and hr eight tributaries which will be affected by the project.
Water from Nethravathi was carried by each Goddess in earthen pots to Saidaani Bibi Dargha, Rosario Cathedral and Mangaladevi Temple to offer the water to the respective Gods to bless the people who will be affected if Yettinahole project was implemented.
Informing the gathering in front of DC office on the river diversion projects, Dinesh Holla an environmentalist who has been following the advances of the project said, “The Government wants to divert 24 TMC of water from Yettinahole, but the project planner Paramashivaiah’s report said that there is not enough water to be diverted. The government has also planned on diverting eight other sub-rivers across the ghat areas.”
“Today’s movement about symoblising nine Goddesses is for us to pray to the Gods of Hindus, Muslims and Christians because only Gods can save us after the Government has turned a deaf ear to our protests”, Holla added.
There will be innumerable dams across the 127 kilometers mountain range including Shiradi, Charmadi and Bisle ghats. Yele Neeru Hole, Bandaaje Hole, Mrathunjaya hole, Aneyooru Hole, Sunaala Hole, Neriya Hole, Kapila Hole, Kempu Hole and Kumaaradhaara Hole are the nine sub-rivers which will be diverted.
If that is not enough, there will be a water bridge from one mountain to another which will naturally destroy the ecological system of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and the eight best hotspots of biological diversity in the world.
The protest was attended by activists Vijay Kumar Shetty, Purushotham Chitrapura, Dinakar Shetty, Dinesh Holla and Ramachandar Baikampady who actively participated in the ‘Rasta Roko’ movement conducted in Besant College junction recently.
