Uppinangady : Several Environmental activists and members of various organisations have blocked the Mangaluru-Bengaluru national highway (NH 75) at Uppinangady on Tuesday September 15, demanding the State government to drop the on-going Yettinahole diversion project in Sakaleshpur taluk of Hassan district.

College and school students and farmers are also participating in the protest that began around 10 a.m. The protesters took out a procession from the Government First Grade College to the highway junction.

Traffic on the highway between Mani and Periyashanthi was lesser than usual since morning due to the call for highway block by the Netravathi Nadi Tiruvu Yoganeya Virodhi Horata Samithi.

K. Vansanth Banegra, Congress MLA from Belthangady and Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP of Dakshina Kannada from the BJP, also participated in the protest.

Earlier, Puttur MLA Shakuntala Shetty from the Congress came to the spot and tried convincing the protesters to withdraw but she left as they did not heed to her suggestions. Youth Congress members also participated in the protest.