Mangaluru: Sep 30: The Mangalore Diocese has resolved to oppose Yettinahole project. The decision was taken during a seminar at Bishop’s House in Mangaluru on Tuesday.
The demands put forth by the Diocese, as a part of the resolution, are that the government should take up alternative projects on the models of Gujarat and Rajasthan to provide water to parched districts. The Yettinahole project, which is unscientific, should be scrapped immediately.
NITK former professor S?G Mayya spoke on the Yettinahole project on the occasion. The Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd, on behalf of the government, had claimed at the Green Tribunal that the people of the district have no right to claim water from River Netravati.
But, in reality, the people of Dakshina Kannada district dwell in the river basin and they have been using the water of River Netravati from generations and hence, they are eligible to claim both riparian and prior appropriation rights, he said.
“Only because the government has discretionary powers as it claimed in the green tribunal, it cannot ignore the water rights of the people blatantly,” Mayya said.
He, meanwhile, questioned whether the State government could give a 100 per cent guarantee to the people of Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts of supplying water. The survival of river is essential for rainfall and for the survival of Western Ghats. Most of the rivers take birth in the Western Ghats. But, due to the deforestation, undertaken for the project, the Western Ghats will be damaged affecting the rainfall.
If the flow of water reduces in river, the salinity will increase, leading to irrigation problems. Also, with the reduction of water, the river ecosystem will also be disturbed.
Alleging State government of misleading the people by providing false information, Prof S?G Mayya said that the detailed project report (DPR) was full of contradictions.
While submitting the project report to the national green tribunal, the records have been tampered, he said.
The title of multipurpose project was corrected to make it as an exclusive drinking water project. But, even if it is to be considered as a drinking water project, the DPR also mentions that the water will be used for irrigation purposes, which is a blunder.
The point mentioned in the project report that the catchment area of the river receives 6,280 mm rainfall, is far from the truth and there are many such imaginary figures, Mayya said. There are no details in the report with regard to the arrangement of 245 MW power which is required to pump out the water.
According to the project, out of the claimed 24 TMC water, 15 TMC?is for drinking water, in Bengaluru rural, Hassan, Chikkaballapur and Devanahalli industrial area. Nine TMC will be used for the rejuvenation of 115 lakes in Tumakuru, 138 in Kolar, 196 in Chikkaballapur and 46 in Bengaluru. After all these, Kolar and Chikkaballapur district are doubtful to get 5 TMC water by 2023-24, Mayya said.
Mangalore Diocese Bishop Rev Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza and Vicar General Dennis Moras Prabhu were present among others.
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