Yettinahole project: Govt identifies land for afforestation

New Delhi: The Karnataka government has informed the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests that it has identified 508 acres of land in Hassan and Tumakuru districts to take up afforestation for the Yettinahole Integrated Drinking Water Project. 

The state has informed the Centre that lands in Chikkanayakanahalli in Tumakuru district and Belur and Arasikere Taluks in Hassan have been identified to take up the afforestation. 

Earlier, the ministry had expressed unhappiness over the afforestation lands identified by the state government, saying that they were not suitable.

The ministry had also opined that since the Yettinahole project would lead to damage to forest areas in the Western Ghats, the state has to identify proper lands to take up forestry activities.

Moreover, the main canal of the Yettinahole project passes through a forest area.

Hence, the state has to approach the ministry for its permission. To prevent any future hurdle for the project, the state government had informed the ministry, saying that it has complied with all issues raised by it. 

An official in the State Water Resources Department told DH that the state was confident that the entire project would be completed by March 2027, after getting approval from the Ministry of Railways and National Highway Authority for building the remaining canals.