Daijiworld Media Network 

Chennai, Sep 16: In a relief for all those who have been protesting against the implementation of the controversial Yettinahole Integrated Drinking Water Project, the National Green Tribunal, Chennai on Wednesday September 16 ordered a stay on the project.

As per the stay order, all work along the project site, both within and outside the forest area, will be suspended until September 28.

A writ petition on the Yettinahole project was filed on July 29 before the Tribunal by Bengaluru Jana Sangrama Parishat state secretary K Somashekar stating that over 600 acres of forest area would be destroyed for Yettinahole project, and that permission for the same had not been sought from the central environment ministry.

The writ petition came up for hearing on September 16 and the Tribunal ordered a stay till September 28, on the grounds that the project has been started without following guidelines.

On September 28, the case will be heard again and a final verdict will be given, said the two-member jury consisting of judges Jyothimani and Nagendran. The counsel for the government submitted a written assurance to the Tribunal that no work would be carried out on Yettinahole project as ordered.

Speaking to daijiworld, Dinesh Holla said that the Tribunal has also asked the government to submit all information regarding the Yettinahole project so that a final decision could be taken. He also said that as this is just a temporary stay, the public meet with elected representatives on 10 questions about the project scheduled for September 19 would still be held.

The nearly Rs 13,000-crore Yettinahole project, undertaken to provide drinking water to Kolar, Chikkaballapur and other districts, has been met with widespread opposition in Dakshina Kannada. On September 15, the highway at Uppinangady was blocked with around 7,000 people led by a number of leaders and prominent persons across communities raising their voice against the project. However, state and union ministers from the district have supported the project, saying they cannot go against the government and engaging in BJP-Congress blame-game.