Yettinahole project a blunder; it can't quench the thirst of parched districts'

[email protected] (CD Network)
September 29, 2016

Bengaluru, Sep 29: A new study conducted by a team of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru concluded that the Rs 13,000-crore Yettinahole diversion project doesn't hold much water to quench the thirst of the parched districts of Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Tumakuru and Bengaluru Rural.

Yettinahole

Headed by TV Ramachandra and comprising of experts like Barat Aithal and S Vinay, the study team after visiting spots and using the latest technology, including remote sensors, found that Yettinahole can generate only 9.5 tmcft of water against 24 tmcft as claimed by the state government which is awaiting environmental clearance to go ahead with project. The team has called the project as an "an ecological blunder".

The study, Environment Flow Assessment in a Lotic Ecosystem of Central Western Ghat, was published in international journal Hydrology Current Research. The Karnataka government, some experts and leaders seeking project implementation had slammed its earlier findings saying it lacked conviction.

The government has already spent Rs 1,690 crore for the project and set up a dedicated authority to oversee its implementation. The project is now temporarily halted following a green bench order besides widespread protests in the coastal belt as the Yettinahole project aims at diverting 24.01 tmcft of water from Nethravathi's tributaries.

The report highlights alterations in the catchment integrity (land cover) or water diversions would result in variation in the natural flow, affecting the biodiversity of the riparian and aquatic habitats, and more importantly, people's livelihood dependent on fishing in the downstream.

The sustainable option to meet water requirements in arid regions, the study points out, would be to rejuvenate existing lakes and ponds, reuse treated waste water, recharge groundwater resources, plant native species of plants in the catchment areas and implement soil and water conservation through microwatershed approaches.

Sources in the water resources department, however, said they will not give much credence to the report but wait for the one by an expert committee set up by the government. On June 9, 2016, the government formed a panel under the chairmanship of Central Water Commission former chairman A K Bajaj. "The committee met just once but nothing much has happened after that. I partly endorse the views of the fresh report prepared by IISc scientists that Yettinahole cannot generate 24 tmcft of water and it greatly affects the ecology,'' said environmentalist Yellappa Reddy.

Comments

Mahesh
 - 
Thursday, 29 Sep 2016

from the beginning only we all know about this fraud supported by congress govt to loot all public money, all corrupt politicians will die one day a dog death. so many people are working hard to get their livelihood in this.. these rich people collecting money in the name of tax and misusing for their posh life.

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Press Release
January 8,2020

Puttur, Jan 8: NCC Officer and two NCC Cadets of St Philomena College Puttur have been selected to participate in prestigious Republic Day Parade on January 26, 2020 in New Delhi.

NCC Officer, Lt. Johnson David Sequeira, Assistant Professor of Bachelor of Social Work has been selected as Contingent Officer of Karnataka and Goa Directorate to train the cadets in New Delhi.

Senior Under Officer Chethan P of first year BCA has been selected to Flag Area and Prime Minister’s Rally.

Junior Under Officer Mahalasa Pai of first year BCom has been selected to participate in cultural event which will be presented on the occasion of VIP’s visit.

These two meritorious cadets of the NCC wing of the College underwent a four months’ rigorous training at various places of Karnataka.

The Correspondent of the College Rev. Fr Alfred J Pinto, Principal Prof. Leo Noronha and Campus Director Rev. Dr Antony Prakash Monteiro expressed their happiness and compliments for the tremendous achievement of the NCC Officer and the cadets.

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News Network
January 22,2020

Kochi, Jan 22: Rail passengers from Kerala are a happy lot as the state’s traditional food items such as appam and eggcurry, puttu and kadala curry have found their way back to the revised menu of the Railways in the wake of protests over reports that they were replaced by north indian delicacies.

The popular Kerala dishes were reinstated to the list following social media backlash over the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation’s reported decision to replace the favorite cuisine of Malayalis from its menu with north Indian dishes such as Kachori and Chole Bhature.

Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden, who had shot off a letter to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal raising the issue of alleged discrimination against Keralites, got an assurance from the IRCTC officials that popular items, including snacks such as unniyappam and sukhiyan will be served through its outlets in the state.

Eden said the IRCTC officials who visited him at his home on Wednesday morning have presented him with the list of delicacies to be served by its local vendors in Kerala. In his letter to the minister, the MP had stated that dishes which are very important to Malayalis for breakfast such as appam, egg curry, porotta, dosa, steam cake (puttu) were excluded along with snacks such as banana fry (pazham pori), kozhukkatta, unniyappam, neyyappam and sukhiyan.  He had also raised the issue of hike in price of food items.

According to him, price of meals has been increased from RS 35 to 70 and that ofsnacks such as vada from Rs 8 to 15.  While the price of vada has not been reduced, the fare of snack meal like parotta, chappathi, idiyappam, appam and puttu with kadala curry or egg curry will be served at Rs 50.  According to IRCTC, a passenger will have to shell out Rs 20 for unniyappam/sukhiyan/neyyappam, 2 numbers each.  Informing Goyal of the changes in menu, he said Malayalis are discriminated in trains and railway refreshment rooms by the food which is the right of every passenger.

He had sought urgent intervention of the Minister and speedy action in the matter.

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News Network
April 21,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 21: The Karnataka Government may spare its employees from salary cuts this month despite severe resources crunch it faces following steep fall in revenue collection due to the ongoing lockdown to fight the coronavirus, official sources said on Tuesday.

As of now, there is no problem with April salary and we can manage. But if May also turns out to be a wash-out (in terms of revenue collection), then the situation is going to be very tough, a senior Minister said.

Ministers and members of Karnataka Legislature are taking a 30 per cent pay-cut for a year from April 1 this year. Opposition Congress in the state has vehemently opposed any possible move to cut salaries of government employees.

You just cant even imagine, the Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had told news agency in an interview earlier this month on the economic impact of the lock-down on the state's finances. Yediyurappa had also said that the government is now not in a position to implement Budget proposals, barring important ones, with all kinds of revenue collections having completely stopped following the lockdown.

The government recently said it proposes to regularise unauthorised properties in the state by imposing penalty, and also auction more than 12,000 corner sites belonging to the Bengaluru Development Authority, as part of resource mobilisation drive.

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