Putting the ball in the court of the Union government and adding to the confusion over felling of trees for the Yettinahole Integrated Drinking Water Project, the State said on Saturday that the Centre had permitted felling of trees in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats.
Talking to presspersons on the sidelines of a workshop in Moodbidri on Friday, Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Anil Madhav Dave claimed his department had not issued even a single letter in favour of the project. “Permission has not been given for cutting (4,995) trees. I have checked it with my Ministry. Not a single letter is there,” he had told reporters.
Retorting to Mr. Dave’s statement, Forest Minister B. Ramanath Rai told reporters here on Saturday, “The project is continuing. This means there is concurrence of the Union Ministry to this project.” He added that the Union Ministry had cleared this drinking water project. The State government could not take up any work in forest areas without concurrence of Union Forest Ministry. Asked whether Mr. Dave had given a false statement, Mr. Rai said, “It is for him to understand. I will not comment.” To substantiate his statement, Mr. Rai produced copy of the letter dated September 15, 2016, from the Regional Office (Southern Range), Ministry of Environment and Forests to Additional Chief Secretary (Forest, Ecology and Environment), giving approval for diversion of 13.93 hectares of forest land in Sakleshpur taluk of Hassan district. Among the conditions imposed include carrying out compensatory afforestation in 13.93 hectares of land in a village in Chalkere taluk in Chitradurga district, and notifying that land as reserve or protected forest.
Accusing Bharatiya Janata Party of politicising Yettinahole issue, Mr. Rai said no government can stop this project meant to provide drinking water to parched regions of Kolar, Chickballapur, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagaram, Tumakuru, Hassan and Chikkamagaluru regions.
Activists too have questioned the statement made by Mr. Dave. K.N. Somashekar, who has questioned execution of the project before the National Green Tribunal, said the statement of Mr. Dave shows the Union Minister of State in a poor light. “My appeal before the Tribunal is questioning the hurried manner in which the order of the Union government allowed diversion of forest land for the project. Mr. Dave should have checked records before making the statement,” Mr. Rai said.
