Mangaluru : Sahayadri Sanchaya and other activists have decided to continue their protest against the Yettinahole Water Diversion Project because of Unhappy with the reply of Health Minister U.T. Khader, three legislators and Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, here on Saturday,

Sahyadri Sanchaya, an organisation of green activists, had asked 10 questions to the eight MLAs, two MLCs and three MPs about the project.

The elected representatives were asked to give replies on Saturday at the School of Social Work at 4 p.m.

For nearly two hours, none of the elected representatives turned up at the venue. Around 6 p.m. Mr. Kateel, S. Angara and Ganesh Karnik, MLC, came to meeting. Around 10 minutes later, Mangaluru North MLA Mohiuddin Bava and at 6.30 p.m. Mr. Khader came to the venue.

Mr. Kateel said the project was still within the State government’s purview and was yet to come before the Central government. “If it comes to our purview I will certainly act,” he said and added he and the party were opposed to the Yettinahole project.

Mr. Karnik said that he did talk in the council on most of the points the activists have raised about the project. “We are concerned about the destruction of the Western Ghats. We need to stop it,” he said. Mr. Angara endorsed opinion expressed by Mr. Karnik. Mr. Khader first placed the written statement of the Major Irrigation Department officials answering questions raised by activists.

When activists K.N. Somashekar, Kateel Dinesh Pai, Dinesh Holla and Giridhar Kamath questioned some of the claims, Mr. Khader said he was not sure of the veracity of the statement. Mr. Khader finally said the project cannot be stopped in any other way that by courts and added that he would ensure no harm was caused to region because of water diversion.