Work on Yettinahole only after MoEF nod, says?Water Resources Minister

Bengaluru: Dec 5: Water Resources minister M B Patil on Friday said work on the Yettinahole drinking water project would be resumed only after obtaining permission from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) for diverting 14 hectares of forest land.

A meeting with the officials of MoEF regional office in Bengaluru has been convened on December 18. The State government will seek permission from the Union Ministry for the diversion of forest land required for the project. The work will resume after obtaining the MoEF’s permission, he told reporters.

The minister had earlier attended a meeting convened by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to discuss what stand the government must take in the wake of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) objecting to the project without MoEF nod.BJP leaders K S Eshwarappa and R Ashoka and JD(S) leader Basavaraj Horatti attended the meeting held at the CM’s home office ‘Krishna’.

Patil said the next hearing by the NGT being on December 7, the government will seek more time to spell out its stand. The government has already given an undertaking to the NGT that it would not go ahead with the project even in non-forest areas until further orders, he added.

The NGT had asked the government to state its stand on the appropriateness of taking up the project without obtaining MoEF permission to divert forest land. The Tribunal had observed that taking up work even in non-forest land without MoEF clearance was illegal and had asked the Karnataka government why the project should not be stayed, Patil pointed out. Eshwarappa told reporters he had advised the chief minister to skip the process of conducting a social impact assessment for acquiring private land. Conducting the assessment is a lengthy process. A lot of time can be saved if it is skipped.

The government should ensure that the project is implemented at the earliest. People in the water-starved districts of Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru and Hassan are eagerly waiting for the project, he added.

JD(S) leader Horatti said he had suggested to the government to convene a meeting of the elected representatives from the coastal districts and impress upon them the importance of implementing the project.

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Post-Sabarimala pilgrimage drinking party turns fatal in Udupi; youth killed in midnight brawl

News Network

December 15,2025

Udupi, Dec 15: What was meant to be a post-pilgrimage gathering turned tragic in Padukere village of Brahmavar taluk, Udupi district, late Sunday night, when a clash among youths escalated into a fatal assault, leaving one man dead.

The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Santosh Mogaveera, a resident of Padukere.

According to preliminary information, the incident took place during a late-night drinking party involving a group of local youths who had recently returned after completing their pilgrimage to the Sabarimala shrine. An argument reportedly broke out among the group and soon escalated into a violent confrontation.

During the ensuing brawl, Santosh Mogaveera was allegedly assaulted and collapsed at the spot after sustaining serious injuries. He was rushed by local residents to a private hospital in Brahmavar, where doctors declared him dead.

On receiving information, senior police officials, including Brahmavar Circle Inspector Gopikrishna, Kota Police Sub-Inspector Praveen Kumar T, Station ASI Manthesh Jabagoudar, and head constables Pradeep and Ashok, visited the spot and conducted an inspection.

Police have taken four youths into custody in connection with the incident. A case has been registered at the Kota police station, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the death.

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