'Yettinahole ecologically, economically unviable'

IISc scientist Dr T V Ramachandra writes open letter to CM

Dr T V Ramachandra, scientist, Energy and Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, has urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to stop Yettinahole project as it is ecologically disastrous and economically unviable.

The purpose of supplying  water to parched regions would not be materialised as there is insufficient water yield in the catchment, the scientist has added.

In an open letter, he said, “I am writing this open letter through the media to you regarding Yettinahole project as it appears that my earlier letter (10th May, 2015) written to you has not got any response or any meaningful scientific discussion/deliberation and to bring to your kind notice the consistent negative propaganda resorted to by the Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited (KNNL) against me and my colleagues.”

Scientists, led by Dr Ramachandra, had conducted a study and prepared a report on the Yettinahole project. The team concluded that it is impossible to draw 24 tmc water through the project.

He said that Yettinahole and its neighbouring catchment areas fall under the Ecological Sensitive Zone 1 as per High-level Working Group report on Western Ghats conservation. As per the recommendations of the working group, there shall be strictly no developmental activities. “Any anthropogenic activities involving large scale land cover changes would affect the hydrology of the river basin affecting the dependent biota,” he said.

Quoting the statistics, he said that the catchment areas receive annual rainfall between 3,000 mm and 4,500 mm. A study by the IISc researchers has shown the total run-off yield of water at 9.55 tmc ft, of which only around 0.8 tmc ft was available for diversion. Prof Ramachandra said, a yield of 24 tmc ft (mentioned in a detailed project report by KNNL) and 22 tmc ft (according to Karnataka Power Corporation) were inflated figures.

Assumptions
The scientist said that the DPR is based on unrealistic assumptions and manipulation of water yield. It is necessary to take note of deliberate attempt in indicating higher water yield and drop the proposal (Yettinahole diversion project).

This would save the State from spending unnecessarily on the project, which is bound to fail due to shortage of water. The inflated values of water yield in the catchment areas would only lead to the failure of water diversion scheme similar to the Telugu Ganga Project.

Implementation of the project would affect the livelihood of dependent population. The project, if implemented, deprives the local people of their right to water under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

In India, the Constitutional right to access to water can be drawn from the right to food, the right to clean environment and the right to health, all of which have been protected under the broad rubric of the Right to Life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The proposed project would alter the hydrologic regime affecting the local ecology, biodiversity and more importantly livelihood of people in the region. It would cause habitat fragmentation and shrinkage resulting in enhanced human-animal conflicts, he said. Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts have sufficient amount of yield (more than 50 tmc, each district), which meets the demand in the region, provided integrated management of natural resources is done.

“Decentralised water harvesting (through series of lakes and tanks), rejuvenation and restoration of lakes/ponds, planting native species of plants and herbs in the catchment areas, watershed/catchment treatment (engineering as well as ecological options), planting of native saplings, recharging groundwater resource, implementation of soil and water conservation strategies at micro level could be implemented in 24 months and money required is a fraction of the money sanctioned for Yettinahole project,” he added.