Mangaluru, Sep 15: For the first time after several years in Dakshina Kannada district, people of all religions and communities on Tuesday joined their hands together for a cause and brought the ever-busy Mangaluru-Bengaluru highway to a standstill by holding a massive protest at Uppinangdy.
The work on the about Rs 13,000 crore project had started early this month at Sakleshpur in Hassan district, which had been opposed by politicians, local people and environmentalists, saying it would dry up the Nethravati river here, the lifeline of Dakshina Kannada district.
Thousands of agitators converged on the highway at the strategic town, around 50 kilometers from here, to register their protest and send a strong message to the state government against the diversion of Yettinahole one of the prominent tributaries of River Nethravathi.
Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel along with several spiritual gurus and swamijis were seen raising slogans against Karnataka government in the protest rally. The project was approved during BJP rule in Karnataka. Mangaluru Khazi Thwaka Ahmed Musliyar has also supported the peaceful agitation.
Farmers, college and school students participated in the protest that began at around 10 am. The protesters earlier took out a procession from the government First Grade College to the highway junction.
The call for highway block was given by the Nethravati Nadi Tiruvu Yoganeya Virodi Horata Samiti (Committee against Nethravati river diversion project).
Youth Congress members also joined the protest despite Congress MLA Shakuntala Shetty representing Puttur constituency trying to dissuade them.
Politicians in Dakshina Kannada are in a quandary over the ongoing project, which was initiated by the previous BJP government in the state. With protests mounting from all sides, people's representatives of both BJP and Congress in the district are openly opposing the ongoing project, though they had unanimously passed the scheme in the Assembly.
BJP's Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel had already written a letter to the Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati to halt the ongoing work till the doubts about the project were cleared. He also said it was not clear from where the estimated Rs 13,000 crore for the project could be mobilised.
Forests Minister and Dakshina Kannada district-in-charge, Ramanath Rai, addressing reporters here yesterday, had stopped short of disowning the decision to implement the project.
The Minister said he could not personally own responsibility for taking up the project as all parties were involved. He also admitted that 13.92 hectares of forest land in Sakleshpur would have to be cleared for the project.
KSRTC diverts buses
In the wake of the protest, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation has diverted all its day service buses between Mangaluru and Bengaluru on Tuesday. KSRTC divisional controller V Hegde said about 40-50 buses plying during the day are being diverted via Sampaje and Charmadi. While premier buses will ply via Sampaje to reach Bengaluru, the express and Sarige buses will ply via Charmadi.
Meanwhile, Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police Sharanappa S Dhage has also asked motorists to avoid using roads passing through Uppinangady on Tuesday.
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