MP Kateel to lead padayatra to protest water project on Oct 10

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Dakshina Kannada unit led by Member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel will take out a padayatra under the banner, ‘Netravathi rakshisi, Dakshina Kannada Ulisi’ and ‘Namma Nade Yettinaholege,’ from Mangaluru to the Yettinahole project site, from October 10 to 13.

Briefing reporters here on Saturday, District BJP president Prathap Simha Nayak said, the project is unscientific and will amount to the destruction of the Western Ghats.
“The DK BJP has been urging the government to take the people of the district into confidence and conduct a scientific study to ascertain the actual availability of water at Yettinahole,” he added.

“The padayatra is an attempt to convey the feelings of the people of Dakshina Kannada to the State government. The government should stop the project till the National Green Tribunal gives verdict on the writ filed by a few who have been opposing the project. The State government should hold discussions on the pros and cons of the project in Mangaluru before October 10,” he added. MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said that the padayatra aims at creating awareness about the project and to draw attention to the fact that 24 tmc of water is not available for supply. It is also an attempt to convince the government to halt the ongoing work.There are several loopholes in the Detailed Project Report (DPR)
on Yettinahole.

“The meeting of the KNNL officials with the elected representatives and the NGOs opposing the project recently had promised to convene a meeting with experts who had prepared the DPR and experts from coastal districts who are opposing the project. The meeting did not take place as promised by the District In-Charge Minister Ramanath Rai. The meeting should be convened in Dakshina Kannada to discuss on the pros and cons of the project,” he demanded.

 The MP meanwhile assured that he will raise the issue in the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session of the Parliament.

“The DK BJP has formed three committees viz expert committee, legal committee and janajgruthi committee on the project,” Kateel added.