Eco impact study not done for Yettinahole, NGT told

The Karnataka government had not conducted environment impact study before granting permission to Yettinahole drinking water project near Sakleshpur in Hassan district, a petitioner opposing the project contended before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday.

The Principal bench of the NGT chaired by Justice Jawad Rahim started the final hearing of a batch of petitions opposing the controversial project.

Advocates Ritwick Dutta and Prince Issac appearing for petitioner and environment activist K N Somashekar said that the forest clearance was granted by the state government for the project without conducting environment impact study and damage that would be caused to bio-diversity of the Western Ghats due to the massive project.

Around 13.92 hectares of forest land is being used at the ecologically-sensitive Western Ghats for the project, the advocates said. Hearing will continue on Thursday.