Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Monday that the Yettinahole drinking water project would be implemented in such a manner that none of the regions in the State was adversely affected.

He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the project, aimed at drawing 24 tmc ft of water for the arid districts. While 15 tmc ft would meet the drinking water needs, the rest of the nine tmc ft would fill the tanks in these districts.

To be completed in two years, the project also is expected to improve the water table. The chief minister further said that all five districts in the arid region would get water.Siddaramaiah allayed fears that the project would be at the cost of Dakshina Kannada district. 

A total of 2,000 tmc ft of water is available in the Western Ghats. Of this, the Netravati river accounts for 400 tmc ft. A mere 1.2 per cent of the water (24 tmc ft) is meant to be used for the arid districts. Hence, there is no need for people in Dakshina Kannada district to be concerned, the chief minister said. 

There will be no harm to the ecology as well, Siddaramaiah said. He said it was wrong to spread misinformation about the Yettinahole project. 

Union Minister for Petroleum M Veerappa Moily, K H Muniyappa, Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and State ministers M B Patil, T B Jayachandra, Ramalinga Reddy and others were present on the occasion.

Protest against project

Members of the Permanent Irrigation Action Committee, JD(S) and other organisations held a protest in the town, against laying the foundation stone for the water project. The protesters, wearing black bands and waving black flags, tried to barge towards the venue of the ceremony. The police arrested and released them later.

They alleged that the project had been kickstarted keeping the polls in mind. The project would fetch only six tmc ft and not 24 tmc ft as is being claimed, they added.