Samithi initiates movement against river diversion

Don't cross nature's boundaries, says Subrahmanya seer

Subrahmanya mutt seer Vidyaprasanna Theertha Swamiji has said that people have to face serious consequences if Nethravathi River is diverted. One should not go against nature. By cheating the people of Dakshina Kannada, the government is up to diverting the river and the people of Dakshina Kannada will not accept this at any cost, the seer said.

He was speaking after offering worship to the River Nethravathi near Shri Venkataramana temple in Bantwal on Tuesday. 

The move was taken by Karavali Jivanadi Nethravathi Rakshana Samithi to initiate fight against Nethravathi River diversion. The seer opined that if one misuses the natural resources, it will be an injustice to crores of creatures in the nature which are depending upon the natural resource.

Karavali Jivanadi Nethravathi Rakshana Samithi President and former MLA Vijaykumar Shetty presided over the programme. Samithi member M G Hegde said that the Nethravathi river diversion is a brainchild of corrupt politicians and officials. By carrying out the project on experimental basis, the government is trying to play with the lives of people, he added.

The government has not been able to complete Varahi unit project, even after the estimate budget of the project reached Rs 1,000 crore from Rs 200 crore. Also, the government has failed to lay permanent roads at a mere 20 km stretch on Shiradi Ghat. With these blunders in its account, the government has lost the moral responsibility to speak on Nethravathi River diversion, he criticised.

Rev Fr Maxim Norohna and senior Litterateur Erya Lakshminarayana Alva also spoke.Billava community leader K Harikrishna Bantwal and Prof S G Mayya among others were present.