Medha opposes Bellary airport

Mining mafia is playing with farmers lives in the district, activist says

 
“The mining mafia is playing with the lives of farmers in the district. Attempts are being made to snatch the livelihood of the local people in the garb of development. Dry land could be selected for the project, if the government deems airport as a priority,” she said here on Tuesday.

Medha Patkar was speaking to reporters after visiting Sirivar and Chaganur villages in the taluk, the location for the proposed airport.

Declaring her support for farmers’ struggle against the airport project, Medha Patkar, who interacted with the farmers, said that environmental impact assessment of the project, a precondition to obtain clearance from Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, has not been carried out.

Secure future

“Farmers’ suicides have been reported from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The government should not venture into the project of this nature, if it intends to ensure social and financial security of the farmers in future. I will convince both the State and Central governments on the perils associated with the proposed construction and urge them to shelve the project,” she said.

Opining that Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa should review the proposed project, Medha Patkar said that attempts to ruin local ecology were evident and it was not right on the part of the government to acquire irrigated agricultural land for the airport project.
The dispensation should take note of the opposition from the farmers.

Any development project should complement and not ruin the farmers’ livelihood.
The government can as well develop two airports already in the district,  Medha Patkar suggested.

The activist addressed the farmers at a public meeting at B D Halli cross in the taluk.