A Division Bench of the National Green Tribunal, South Zone, has extended a stay order on the Yettinahole project till December 21.
The tribunal passed the order on Monday after the Chief Engineer of Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd. (KNNL) filed an affidavit saying that it would not carry out any work related to the project till it got clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).
On November 18, the Division Bench had ordered status quo on the project after KNNL, the project execution agency, filed an undertaking that it would not carry out works related to the project till they got clearance from the MoEF. As many as three petitions had been filed pointing out the alleged violation of the Forest Conservation Act and Environment Protection Act by the agency.
On Monday, the petitioners pointed that KNNL had so far not approached the MoEF seeking clearance for carrying out work in the forests. K.N. Somashekar, a petitioner, said that they also pointed how KNNL had continued the work disregarding orders of the tribunal.
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. Recently, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a meeting with officials and Opposition leaders to work out ways to go ahead with the project.
