Mangaluru: In an intermediate relief, a Division Bench of the National Green Tribunal on Monday, December 21, further extended a stay order on the Yettinahole project till January 8.
Informing this former minister and Congressman Vinay Kumar Shetty said that the tribunal passed the order after KKNL officials said it would go ahead with the project after obtaining clearance from the Forest Department.
It may be noted that the KKNL has been issuing the same statement repeatedly. To this, Shetty said that even the KNNL authorities are well informed that the project is unscientific and is only intended at making money adding the officials have nothing left to say.
On December 8, the tribunal had stayed the project until December 21.
Shetty said that for the first time, Advocate General for KKNL Madhusudhan G Naik and another prominent functionary Prof. Ramprasad, ISC, attended the hearing. Shetty said that it was just a gimmick to spread false impression on the Kolar residents that they were advocating for water supply from Yettinahole to the drought-hit districts.
It is to be noted that Horata Committee fighting for a permanent solution to drinking water, staged a protest in Kolar demanding appropriate measures to provide them water and also the implementation of Paramashivaiah Commission Report.
The KNNL has been executing the project meant to divert 24 tmcft of water from the Yettinahole to the parched regions of Bengaluru Rural, Chickballpur, Kolar and Tumakuru at a cost of Rs. 13,000 crore. Earlier this month, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a meeting with officials and Opposition leaders to work out ways to go ahead with the project.
