The Hindu Business Line : Karnataka planters' body opposes Upper Bhadra project

THE Karnataka Planters' Association (KPA) has raised strong objections to the proposed Upper Bhadra Project that the State Government plans to set up at Magundi village in Chikmagalur district.

Mr AL.RM. Nagappan, Chairman, KPA, said the project would not only have massive ecological impact but would also lead to severe socio-economic problems in the region.

An estimated 10,000 acres of prime forest land and about 12,000 acres of coffee, areca, pepper plantations and paddy fields would be completely submerged under water if the Government goes ahead with the project, he said.

The Upper Bhadra Project involves setting up of a number of dams on River Bhadra.

The State Government proposes to ensure water supply and provide irrigation facilities to the districts of Chitradurga and Kolar through this project.

An estimated 30,000 plantation and agri-jobs will be lost as some of the prime coffee growing areas in the Bhadra belt would be totally lost and the numerous families depending on coffee estates would lose their livelihood, Mr Nagappan said.

Mr Nishant Gurjar, a planter from the region, said that the proposed project to be located at the origin of the Bhadra river would not serve any purpose.

By going ahead with the same, the Government would curtail the river flow from the present 183 km to about 5 km, he said. Moreover, there are already two dams within the region, the Lakavalli Dam and the Lakya Dam on the periphery of the Kudremukh National Park.

Mr Gurjar said the Government had thought about the Rs 2,813-crore project way back in 1969, which did not take off for various reasons. However, the project was cleared in 2003 and it is understood that the state-agency Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd is planning to get the Centre's approval for the project.

Meanwhile, sources said the Karnataka Chief Minister is said to be planning to set up an expert committee to go into the project details, based on which it would be taken up.

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