MANGALURU: Mangaluru City South MLA JR Lobo said if the Yettinahole project is detrimental to the interests of the people in the district, it should be stopped forthwith.

He is the second ruling party MLA to express this opinion about the project after Belthangady MLA Vasanth Bangera.

Lobo said he would ask the government to give him the reports of the study about the effects of the project on DK, if it has been done, else he would request the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to conduct a study. “During the course of the study the project not go ahead with the work,” he said.

He said primarily, the study should focus on whether or not the expected quantity of water, which is 24 TMC, is available at Yettinahole as per the project report, how it would affect Western Ghats and water availability in the district.

Lobo said he would also implore the CM to give allocation of about Rs 1,000 crore for the Paschimavahini project, which is constructing of series of vented dam across the west flowing rivers to increase the water table and provide water to towns and cities on the coast.

Lobo was at pains to explain how a ruling party MLA did not have any data on the project that too when it would affect his district, when it was brought to his notice that study reports had suggested that it would affect the district.

Courtesy: Times of India