Nalin Kumar Kateel, Dakshina Kannada MP, on Saturday urged all those supporting the Yettinahole project, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and former Chief Ministers M. Veerappa Moily and D.V. Sadananda Gowda, to visit the project site to get first-hand information about the quantum of water actually available.
Speaking to presspersons after the launch of his four-day padayatra, ‘Save Nethravati, protect Dakshina Kannada’, opposing the Yettinahole project, from Mangaluru to Yettinahole, Mr. Nalin said it would be desirable that people from Kolar-Chickballapur region visit the project and realise the “myth” being propagated in support of the project. Water available at the site was far below the claim made by the government, he said.
The padayatra is aimed at creating awareness among the people of Dakshina Kannada about the ill-effects of water diversion and take everyone together against the project, he said.
Earlier, president of the Dakshina Kannada district unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party Pratapsimha Nayak flagged off the padayatra by handing over a party flag to Mr. Nalin in the presence of party workers and those opposing the project at the Brahma Baidarkala Garodi Temple here.
Mr. Nalin further said the padayatra would cover about 30 km a day. On day one, the entourage would halt at B.C. Road and on Monday it would stop at Uppinangady, the confluence of Nethravati and Kumaradhara.
On the third day, the padayatra would halt at Gundya where the party has organised a public meeting, expected to be attended by about 3,000 people, he said.
The padayatra would reach the project site on Tuesday during which time party workers would lay siege to the site, Mr. Nalin said. The Lok Sabha member said the party intended to be the padayatra a small one so as not to create traffic hurdles on the busy Mangaluru-Bengaluru National Highway.
Gurudevananda Swami of Odiyoor Mutt, Mohanadas Swami of Manila Mutt, Rajashekharananda Swami of Gurupura Vajradehi Mutt, Isha Vittaladasa Swami of Kemar Mutt, green activists Dinesh Holla and M.G. Hegde, MLCs Ganesh Karnik and Kota Srinivasa Poojary, Sullia MLA S. Angara, and zilla panchayat president Asha Thimmappa Gowda were present.
