Mangaluru: Dinesh Holla, convenor of the Sahyadri Samrakshana Sanchaya, who is protesting against the implementation of the Yettinahole project, as well as members of various organisations who joined him, waved a black flag and footwear to Veerappa Moily on Saturday,

The protesters submitted a memorandum and requested support for their agitation, but Moily stood firm and said that he had not attended any of the meetings regarding the project and had no power to stop it. The protesters shouted slogans against Moily.

He, however, assured that he would request the chief minister and major irrigation minister to convene a meeting to clear the doubts and fears that the people of Dakshina Kannada have about it within a month’s time.

The Mangaluru Rural police detained the protesters and released them later.

Addressing mediapersons on Saturday, the Chikkaballapur MP said that all information would be provided to the public through a website. “It (Yettinahole) is not a Nethravathi-diversion project. Water expert G S Paramashivaiah’s recommendations were discussed during the tenure of former chief ministers B S Yeddyurappa, D V Sadananda Gowda, Jagadish Shettar as well as present Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

It was, however, dropped, as it was found to be harmful to the environment, and would take more time for implementation,” he explained, adding, “The project aims to supply drinking water to five to six districts.”

The Parliamentarian said that according to the project, excess water from Yettinahole and Kaaduhole would be supplied to other district over a span of four months in a year. “The project causes minimum forest loss. Moreover, Yettinahole and Kaaduhole do not join Nethravathi, but River Kumaradhara. The total amount of water in both the rivers, combined, would be 400 to 500 tmc,” he said.

In response to a query on the unscientific nature and calculation on the availability of water as well as the report of the IISc scientists that not more than nine tmc of water was available at Yettinahole, Moily said that government had not taken any report from IISc.

“If there is no water, it would be good. The project should not be carried out against the law. I am ready to visit the site, if there is any serious problem. We want drinking water, regardless of the source,” he insisted.
The MP, however, failed to give a satisfactory reply to a question on the wastage of public money and irreparable damage to the Western Ghats due to the implementation of the Yettinahole project.