Rally against NH 275 widening on Dec 8

The Kodagu Maaraka Yojane Virodhi Vedike, under the theme ‘Save Kodagu and Cauvery’, will hold an awareness rally against the widening of the National Highway 275 to a four-lane road from Mysuru to Madikeri.

The rally will begin from Man’s Compound to Gandhi Maidan in Madikeri, Kodagu district, at 10 am on December 8.

Addressing a press meet, here, on Tuesday, president of the Vedike Rajeev Bopaiah said, “The proposed expansion of the National Highway to four-lane will be a threat to the flora and fauna of Kodagu. Kodagu is facing a threat due to several destructive projects. Over 54,000 trees were cut down for the Mysuru-Khozikode 400kV high tension power line in the year 2015-2016. Over 2,800 acres of land in Kodagu was converted for commercial purpose between 2005 to 2015. The human-elephant conflict is on the rise.”

“Now, there is a proposal for two railway lines and four multi-lane highways through Kodagu. These projects will result in cutting down of over four lakh trees across Kodagu, and the project will cost over Rs 10,000 crore. Hundreds of families will be displaced from their lands, and livelihood,” he said.

He alleged that there have been no efforts to improve the quality of the existing village roads.

“Recently, after the torrential rains and landslides in Kodagu, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) termed it as a man-made disaster. The destruction of nature in Kodagu will bring misery to the people,” he said.

He said that the River Cauvery originates in Kodagu and over 80 million people across South India are its beneficiaries. These projects will only be a threat to the River Cauvery.

Colonel (retd) C P Muthanna said, “The road can be upgraded if there is a traffic flow of over 10,000 vehicles per day, but the Madikeri-Kushalnagar does not have so much of traffic.”

For people willing to take part in a rally from Mysuru city, there is an arrangement of vehicle from Mysuru Kodava Samaj office at 6.30 am. Contact: 93421 88893.