Mangaluru, October 3: Led by MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, the district BJP has decided to organize a padayatra in protest against the controversial Yettinahole Project on October 10th, informed BJP district president K Pratapsimha Nayak.
Addressing a press meet on Saturday October 3rd at the BJP office here in presence of MP Nalin Kateel, Pratapsimha Nayak said, under the slogans ‘Save Netravati, Save Dakshina Kannada’ and ‘Step towards Yettinahole’, the padayatra will be held under the leadership of MP Nalin Kumar Kateel which will begin on October 10th morning from Brahma Baidarkala Koti Chennaiah Shrine Garodi, Kankanady and culminate at Yettinahole region with a huge protest on October 13th.
For a query by media representatives that whether it was possible for MP Nalin Kumar Kateel to stop the Yettinahole project by holding the padyatra and if there was any response to the letter he had written to the central ministers to stop the project, Nalin Kateel put forth three points in front of the media.
“First, being an MP, it is my duty to help the people. In this case, I am trying to spread awareness among the people about the problems we are going to face in future. The state government has promised to provide 24 TMC of water, but the water available there is not more than 4 TMC. There a lot of mistakes in detailed project report (DPR). The Kolar people must visit Yettinahole and see the truth.
“Secondly, it is the duty of all to alert the state government that the project is not feasible. The government prior to begin the project has not taken feedbacks from the people of Dakshina Kannada district. The interaction meet done last time was not done in a proper manner and thereafter I had given time to the officials to hold another interaction with the people of Dakshina Kannada, where the government could bring technical experts to clear off doubts regarding the project.
“Third, as an MP of Dakshina Kannada, my protest does not end after the padyatra. Parliament session will be held in the coming days and I will raise this issue inside and outside the Parliament. I will do whatever is possible through the central government. We are going to form three teams. Technical team, a team to fight for the issue legally and a team to spread awareness among the people,” the MP explained.
If not even 4 TMC water can be provided to Kolar, then what is the point in continuing this expensive project? We will bring technical experts from our side, let the government bring theirs and chalk out a new and better plan to provide water to other districts. The Green Tribunal has already ordered the government to stop all the work, but the state is still continuing with it, said Nalin Kumar Kateel.
I will support whoever protests against the Yettinahole project, and earlier too I have supported various organisations. Let the state government stop the Yettinahole project and let they use the sea water. Let them follow in the footsteps of Gulf countries. Other countries use machineries to purify the sea water and convert it into drinking water, he said.
In the press meet, MLC Capt Ganesh Karnik, former Minister Krishna J Palemar, Divakar Samani, and others were present.
