Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Sep 25: A fresh, revised report by Indian Institute of Science here has confirmed its earlier finding that Yettinahole project will be an ecological blunder. A fresh team formed by the institute, which went into the efficacy of the project by making spot visits and using technologies including remote sensors, has found that Yettinahole can generate only 9.5 tmc of water and not 24 tmc as projected by the state government when taking up execution of this project.

An article titled, 'Environment Flow Assessment in a Lotic Ecosystem of Central Western Ghat' published in international journal, 'Hydrology Current Research' has put the availability of water through Yettinahole at 9.55 tmc. The scientists who conducted this detailed study say that 5.84 tmc would be required for local needs. A team comprising scientists of the institute, Prof T V Ramachandra, Barat Aithal, and S Vinay has authored this article.

As per the government's statistics, annual rainfall in Yettinahole catchment area is 3,500 to 4,500 mm out of which water is needed for agriculture and aquatic animals. It has observed a gradual reduction in rainfall in the region because of depletion of forest region, evaporation, and absorption towards alluvial soil.

The report has therefore recommended for improving water management in Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru rural and other districts where water from Yettinahole project is meant to be channelized, by collecting rainwater by building tanks, pools, and other water bodies, renovation of existing ponds and water bodies, streamlining reuse of water, rainwater harvesting, recharging of underground water table etc affectively rather than going ahead with this project. The facts found by the committee members clearly have shown that Yettinahole project is impractical and unscientific.