Honour people’s rights over Netravati first, govt. told

Forum decides to up the ante, urging people to jump into the movement

V.V. Bhat, retired IAS officer, S.G. Mayya, former professor of Applied Mechanics and Hydrology, NIT-K, and M.G. Hegde at a press conference in Mangaluru on Sunday.— Photo: H.S. Manjunath

With the government appearing to be adamant on going ahead with the Yettinahole water diversion and other similar projects thereby destroying the fragile eco-system of the Western Ghats and affecting life in the coast, the Netravati Rakshana Samyukta Samithi has decided to up the ante and has urged people to jump into the movement.

“We have almost reached a dead-end in the fight with the only alternative being the Supreme Court. We are not fighting for our individual rights, but for the rights of all the people and protection of the eco-system … we cannot go beyond a limit. If people do not support the movement, the future of the region appears to be very bleak,” an activist of the Samithi said.

The Samithi has decided to take a multi-pronged approach to fight the water diversion projects. The first would be urging the government to set up a coastal water conservation authority through legislation and draw permanent drinking water and irrigation projects for the coastal region, activist and former bureaucrat V.V. Bhat said.

Mr. Bhat said that the proposed authority should be autonomous and consist of not only government representatives, but also experts in civil engineering, general public and representatives from local bodies of the region. Through the authority, people in the coastal region should be able to claim their rights over rivers and other bodies that meet their various needs, he added.

While the government is making every effort to implement the Yettinahole water diversion project, the Paschima Vahini project promised by public representatives for the coastal region is not even on papers, Mr. Bhat regretted.

Ulterior motives

Former professor of Applied Hydrology with National Institute of Technology, Karnataka, S.G. Mayya, who has been voicing concern over the Yettinahole project for years, said that the State government has tacitly admitted that water was not available in Yettinahole in the recent budget.

The Detailed Project Report prepared for the project is worth trash even as the government is eyeing on all west-flowing rivers to quench the thirst of the arid regions in the central parts of the State. While people in the coastal region are not averse in sharing water, they are completely opposed to destruction of water sources by undertaking projects on the eco-sensitive Western Ghats, he further said.

Statehood

Those fighting against the implementation of the Yettinahole project have almost reached a dead-end and the only alternative is to seek a river water disputes tribunal. However, a tribunal can be set up to settle inter-state disputes and government’s adamant nature to push the Yettinahole project is fomenting the demand for statehood for coastal Karnataka, he added.

Activist M.G. Hegde said that Netravati river has enlivened the entire civilisation in Dakshina Kannada and had a major role in the district becoming a business and education hub. “It is however strange that businessmen, industrialists, educationists and the common man have remained mute spectators on the attempts to divert Netravati waters. If the authorities succeed in diverting Netravati, the region would become barren within a decade,” he said. He said that the first claim over river water lies with the people and biodiversity of the riparian region. “There is no use in regretting later...,” he said.

Fishermen leader Ramachandra Baikampady questioned the authenticity of claim on utilisation of “excess” water flowing into the sea to feed the arid regions. “There cannot be a term ‘excess water’ as whatever rainwater flows into the sea sustains the aquatic life. If a specified quantum of water does not enter the sea, it would directly affect the fishermen community,” he said. Furthermore, seawater would then enter the river and could turn lands barren on the river bank. Fishermen have decided to oppose the Yettinahole water diversion project or any other project that diverts west-flowing rivers, he added.

demands

Set up a coastal water conservation authority through legislation

Have long-term plans for water preservation and conservation

Announce permanent drinking water and irrigation projects for coastal Karnataka

Declare Mangaluru as a Fishing Industry Zone