: The state government would hold a meeting of people's representatives from Dakshina Kannada to discuss the Yettinahole river water diversion project, which had drawn criticism from environmentalists, social activists and public in the district, Forests and Environment Minister and district-in-charge B Ramanath Rai has said.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of Teacher's Day celebrations at Puttur near here yesterday, he said a public grievances meet could also be held on the issue. Rai said being a cabinet minister, he could not oppose the project and it was unanimously passed in the assembly.
Some district leaders were adopting 'double standards' on the issue by criticising the project while in Mangaluru and favouring it when in Bengaluru, he alleged. The work on the project had started and only the Union Environment Ministry could halt it, Rai said.
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Health Minister U T Khader, who was also present, said Major Irrigation Minister M B Patil would visit the district soon.
The Yettinahole project,work for which has already started at Sakleshpur, had stirred up a controversy with people in DK district coming out against it as they fear water diversion from the foothills of Western Ghats would affect the farmers' interests.
Around 10 lakh farmers depend on Nethravati river basin for their livelihood. 'Nethravati' is a river which has various tributaries flowing from the Western Ghats and gather at certain points, which later takes the form of a full-fledged Nethravati which catered to the needs of DK.
The project is to divert the streams that merge with Nethravati to solve the water scarcity problem in Kolar, Chikkaballapur and other areas.
People allege that though the streams which are to be diverted join the Nethravati, the project has been named 'Yettinaholle' project deliberately to mislead them. Even the streams Yettinahole, Kerihole, Hongadahalla, and Kadumanehalla are Nethravati river tributaries.
