'Rally for Rivers' campaign opposed

Kushalnagar resident Mollera Machaiah has alleged that the ‘Rally for Rivers’ campaign carried out by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, is anti-farmer.

Addressing the media in Madikeri on Friday, he said that the agenda behind the rally is to declare one km wide land on both sides of rivers as ecologically sensitive region, through the government.

This decision of the government will be detrimental for farmers carrying out agriculture on the river banks, he said.

Isha Foundation plans to plant samplings in 81,155 sq km area in Cauvery watershed region. But, no alternative arrangements have been announced for the displaced people and farmers in the region. The evacuees should be provided with compensation first, he added.

Advocate K G Ayyappa said that some organisations are conspiring to influence the government to declare river banks as forest land. Crowdfunding is done for the same without revealing the action plan. He also warned of undertaking a legal fight against the same.