Uppinangady: Nethravathi river is the lifeline of the district. Everybody has a responsibility to fight unitedly to conserve the river and against the proposed river diversion and Yettinahole project, said Odiyur Kshetra seer Gurudevananda Swamy.

Speaking at a protest rally organised by the Nethravathi Nadi Tiruvu Yojane Virodhi Horata Samiti members against proposed Netravati diversion or Yettinahole project, at the confluence of Nethravathi- Kumaradhara river confluence at Uppinangady, he said, “we have been causing damage to the environment. There is a need to take up apolitical movement to conserve environment.”

Earlier, all the participants entered into the river and poured milk into it as a part of the protest.

Puttur Vivekananda College Lecturer Dr Shreesha Kumar said “Nethravathi river had gone dry in 1913. If the State government goes ahead with its project, then river will go dry again. There is a need to fight for the cause of river Nethravathi.”

M G Hegde said that Union Minister Veerappa Moily, former chief ministers D V Sadananda Gowda and Kumaraswamy were equally responsible for the river diversion project. “We need to oppose their stand on the project.”

Writer Thalthaje Vasanth Kumar, Kannada Sangama President Kaje Ishwar Bhat among others were present.