‘Yettinahole project is ecologically disastrous, economically unviable’

Udupi, Sep 27: The Yettinahole water diversion project is “ecologically disastrous and economically unviable,” according to well-known environmental biologist NA Madhyastha.

Delivering a special talk on the project here on Saturday Dr. Madhyastha said that the experts in the government knew that the project was unviable, but were silent on it.

During the times when the monsoon is below normal in the Western Ghats, there will be no water for either Dakshina Kannada district or the six parched districts of south Karnataka if the project is implemented, he opined.

According to him, the Yettinahole project was illegal as no environmental, wildlife or forest clearances had been taken for its implementation. The Yettinahole project was a political decision taken without any concern for ecology with all parties supporting it. The project envisages linking four rivulets in the Western Ghats and then supplying water to the parched districts.

Despite claims to the contrary, vast tracts of forests would be destroyed affecting biodiversity of the area, and it will result in increased man-animal conflict.

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Yettinahole is silent on most of these environmental issues, Dr. Madhyastha added.

The argument that excess rain water would be diverted for drinking water purposes was totally a misleading one. The excess water during the monsoon had a “flushing effect” in the river. No hydrologist had been consulted on the project.

The project would lead to the relocation of at least 25 villages.

The project required a massive investment of over Rs. 13,000 crore and the benefits from it were questionable.

Instead, water conservation methods should be employed in the parched districts as was done in Rajasthan, Dr. Madhyastha said.

Ravindranath Shanbhag, President of Human Rights Protection Foundation said that the water from the Yettinahole would have to be pumped 300 metres high. This would require 370 MW of power, which probably would be provided by the Nidodi power project.

Instead of Yettinahole, the government could have concentrated on cleaning the Hemavati and providing water from it, he said.

Rathabeedi Geleyaru and N. Murari Ballal Foundation had organised the talk.

President of the Rathabeedi Geleyaru Muralidhar Upadhya, secretary Subramanya Joshi, and Director of Govinda Pai Research Centre H. Krishna Bhat were among those present.