Bengaluru, Dec 26: The consultation-cum-clarification meeting on the Yettinahole project on Monday turned into a political slugfest with the Congress and BJP members accusing each other of politicizing the issue for electoral gains.
While the BJP leaders from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, where people are opposing the project exited the meeting mid-way alleging "lack of transparency", the Congress charged them with "misleading the people".
Interestingly, BJP leaders from parched districts, where people are demanding the implementation of the project, have not spoken against the project that had in fact received green signal during BJP rule in Karnataka.
There was a war of words both inside and outside the meeting venue between the BJP and Congress members after Siddaramaiah stated that there is no question of dropping the project as civil works amounting to Rs 1,800 crore had already been completed.
He also pointed out that it was the BJP government that had initiated the project in 2012.
The Rs 13,000-crore project proposes diversion of 24.01 tmcft of water at Yettinahole in Hassan district to cater to the drinking water needs of people in Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru Rural and Tumakuru districts.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Forest Minister Ramanath Rai even dared the BJP?to move a motion in the legislature seeking that the project be scrapped.
“If the House adopts the motion, I will even fall at the feet of the chief minister to get the project abandoned. The BJP?is playing a double game. While it holds a padayatra in Kolar seeking that the project be implemented, the same party organises agitations in Dakshina Kannada against the project,” Rai said.
BJP leader and Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel was vocal about the drinking water problem in Mangaluru.
"We need to give water to the parched districts of Kolar and Chikkaballapur, but the question is: where's the water being sourced from? When we sought to know the source of water, the government showed us photographs of places where the water source had dried. How can they come to a conclusion that water can be lifted from Netravathi throughout the year when places like Mangaluru face water shortage? When Netravathi is not able to meet the water requirements of one district how can it cater to six districts? Experts have opined that only a small quantity of water will reach Kolar. Who actually will benefit from this multi-crore project?" he asked.
Kateel also slammed ministers Ramanath Rai and U T Khader, who hail from the coastal region, for not joining the common man in opposing the project.
Project of contention
The Yettinahole Integrated Drinking Water Project, which is being executed by the Krishna Neeravari Nigam Limited, has been conceived to meet the drinking water requirements of Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Ramanagara, Tumakuru, Bengaluru Rural and Hassan districts. The Rs 13,000-crore project proposes to lift 24.01 tmc ft of water from Yettinahole, a west-flowing river, and divert to the parched districts of south Karnataka. The water will be transported through a pipeline and an open canal over a distance of 274 km.
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