Western Ghats conservationists cry alarm as govt pushes to divert two rivers in Karnataka

Bengaluru: Conservationists from Western Ghats will descend on the city on Saturday to protest against the latest attempt by the Centre and state to divert two west-flowing rivers -- Bedti and Aghanashini -- in Uttara Kannada district.

Bedti, Aghanashini Valley Conservation Committee has brought together religious institutions to scientists, legal experts, retired forest officers and activists to protest against the two diversion projects. The event will be led by honorary president of the committee Gangadharendra Saraswati Mahaswami of Swarnavalli Mutt.

DH had on March 12, 2021 reported on Karnataka looking to revive Bedti river diversion project conceived in 1995. As per the latest development, the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) completed a pre-feasibility report in August this year. The project, estimated to cost about Rs 15,000 crore, aims to divert water to Hirewaddatti in Gadag district.

The Aghanashini-Vedavathi Project, estimated to cost over Rs 23,000 crore, seeks to bring water from the river basin to Chitradurga's Vani Vilas Sagar dam. A pre-feasibility report for the project was drafted in October. The NWDA was working with other agencies on the detailed project report.

Addressing a curtain raiser event, the committee's president and former chairman of Karnataka Biodiversity Board Anant Hegde Ashisar said both the projects would become destructive white elephants similar to Yettinahole project. "They will cause lasting damage by disturbing the water security of 1 lakh farmers in the Ghats who are dependent on the river, damaging the fishery by diverting the ecological flow and fuelling wildlife conflict by disturbing pristine areas,: he said.

The committee referred to the reports prepared by the Indian Institute of Science that the carrying capacity of the Ghats in Karnataka has been exhausted by successive governments. It also expressed concerns over the rising number of landslides directly attributed to linear projects and other works.