Daijiworld Media Network- Beltangady (SP)

Beltangady, Mar 2: Arguments and hearing on three petitions opposing Yettinahole project filed with the Chennai bench of National Green Tribunal concluded on Tuesday March 1. With this, the wait for the verdict of the bench has begun. There were also arguments about the validity of applications and whether they have to be disallowed or admitted.

Karnataka advocate general, who appeared on behalf of Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd, argued that the applications were barred by limitation. He said that objections, if any, have to be filed within a specified period after notification about the implementation of project was issued. He expressed the opinion that the applications are fit to be rejected on this ground.

Advocates representing Yatiraju from Tumakuru, Purushotham Chitrapur from Mangaluru and K N Somashekhar from Bengaluru placed counter arguments against the above. Advocates, Prince Issac and A C Bhavya, sought to dismiss arguments placed by the advocate general as having no merit and baseless. They said that the complaint was filed in the court within the prescribed period.

The bench which heard the arguments posted the case for verdict. However, no specific date has been fixed for passing of orders. The tribunal now has to decide whether the applications have to be disallowed on the basis of having been barred by limitation. The activists are awaiting the orders with bated breath.

The activists had also filed objections in the past with the regional high powered committee of union ministry of environment and forests when it visited Yettinahole project area sometime back. The committee had opined that the project may be permitted as only 8.1 hectares of forest land would affected by it. The committee also had prescribed certain conditions to be fulfilled by Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd. The project envisages providing drinking water to 75.59 lac people from Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru rural, Ramanagara, and parts of Tumakuru, Hassan, and Chikkamagaluru districts by the year 2023-24. But there is opposition even from people of Kolar to the project, as they feel that this project is not feasible because they feel that this project cannot generate so much drinking water.