Preliminary work begins at KRS dam despite opposition

Time of India

2 days ago

Mandya: Despite strong opposition from farmers, locals, and various organisations, preliminary work on the controversial Cauvery Aarti project has commenced quietly at Brindavan Gardens in the
near Mysuru.
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This development sparked fresh outrage among stakeholders, particularly given the assurances made by the district administration just days earlier. During a meeting on Friday, in the zilla panchayat, district minister N Cheluvarayaswamy acknowledged the widespread opposition to the Rs 92 crore project. He praised the united stand by farmers and local groups and assured that the matter would be taken up with the deputy chief minister and chief minister before proceeding further.
However, contradicting those assurances, groundwork for the project began over the weekend. Workers from Gadag and Hassan have been engaged on-site, for the past three days. The area earmarked for the project is located near the boathouse. When this reporter from TOI visited KRS on Monday, it came to light that initial activities as tree felling, and land levelling have already started. When questioned, one of the workers confirmed, "We have been working here for the last three days for the Cauvery Aarti project.
" There are nearly 20 to 25 workers involved in the preliminary work. As part of the preliminary work, a few trees have already been cut.
Farmer leader Sunanda Jayaram, who has been at the forefront of the opposition expressed deep disappointment over the sudden developments. Upon learning that the work was ongoing on Monday, she contacted the district minister, who once again promised immediate action to halt the project, she said.
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However, even after her call in the morning, preliminary work, including marking, reportedly continued unabated.
Speaking to TOI, Sunanda Jayaram said, "During Friday's meeting, the minister assured us that the govt would not proceed without consulting the DCM and CM. But on Monday, we saw work had already begun. I called the district minister immediately, and he assured us that he would stop the work. If this continues, we will be forced to protest in front of the dam.
We don't need a project that puts the safety of the dam and the environment at risk.
Mysugar factory revival and Agriculture University by district minister Chaluvarayaswamy we welcomed, but this projects are against the people and environment, and hence we are opposing it. If the work still continues, we will stage an indefinite protest at the KRS dam," she said.