Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, May 13: The main bench of National Green Tribunal will be holding final hearing into a petition seeking to stop the controversial Yettinahole project on Monday, May 13.

The hearing and verdict have been frequently getting delayed and postponed for various reasons since the last five years. People of coastal and Malnad districts of Karnataka have been eagerly awaiting the judgement as the project has the potential of ruing their future.

Over six applications had been moved before the tribunal against Yettinahole Project but all but two among them were rejected for different reasons.

Yettinahole project was envisaged to divert water from Yettinahole, a tributary of River Netravati, to parched districts of Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Tumaiuru, Bengaluru rural etc. There is confusion about whether this is a drinking water project or irrigation project. The petitioners have been accusing the government of not obtaining prior clearance from environment and forest department. They also say that the ecology of Western Ghats would be adversely affected if the flow of Yettinahole is diverted.