Activists opposing the Yettinaholey water diversion project have expressed their disappointment over the Karnataka government’s stance.

Addressing presspersons in Mangaluru on Monday, Vijayakumar Shetty, President of Nethravathi Rakshana Samyukta Samiti, said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had promised to convene a meeting with the people of coastal Karnataka region.

His promise has not materialised till now. There has been no effort by the Karnataka government to take the people of coastal Karnataka region into confidence on an environmentally sensitive issue like the water diversion project, he said. The association will meet heads of different parties from the State, urging them to oppose the Yettinaholey project, he said.

It may be mentioned here that the detailed project report (DPR) prepared by the Karnataka government envisages diverting water from west-flowing water sources, including Yettinaholey stream, in the western ghats region in Sakleshpur taluk of Karnataka, to several districts in south-eastern parts of the State.

The ₹13,000-crore project proposes to draw the runoff water of about 24 tmcft during the monsoon by constructing eight weirs, and by pumping water to Kolar and Chikballapur. Yettinaholey is one of the tributaries of west-flowing River Nethravathi. This river is the lifeline of Dakshina Kannada district.

He also opposed the recent statement of the Karnataka Health Minister UT Khader on the issue.

Khader, who represents Mangaluru Rural constituency in Legislative Assembly, had said the project would be implemented as planned.

Shetty said the entire Dakshina Kannada district had observed a total bandh on May 19 against the project. Representatives from all sections of society, including religious leaders, had actively participated in this bandh.

In such a situation, any statement supporting the Yettinaholey water diversion project is not a good thing by an elected representative of the region, he said.

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