Latest news with #KRS
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Preliminary work begins at KRS dam despite opposition
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. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 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. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 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.
Time of India
5 days ago
- General
- Time of India
World Environment Day: MLA GTD urges eco-protection and tree planting
Mysuru: Due to rising global temperatures and climate change, several problems are emerging. Along with development, we must also conserve natural resources. If we fail to understand that humans cannot survive without the environment, it will lead to difficulties in the future, Chamundeshwari MLA GT Devegowda said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Speaking at a programme organised by the forest department to celebrate at Koorgalli, where the lake development and tree planting initiative was launched, he said: "For clean air and a healthy society, we need trees around us. Only then can we breathe and live peacefully." The JDS MLA added that while we have progressed scientifically, our ancestors ensured the air remained breathable by planting rows of trees. "That's why we still see many large trees," the former minister said. He emphasised that the neem trees along the Outer Ring Road in the city help the urban area maintain clean air. "Trees protect our health and well-being," he noted. He expressed concern that rivers are getting polluted. Although we say we drink clean water, in reality, we consume contaminated water. "Even in Bengaluru, though people drink water from the KRS (Krishna Raja Sagara), pollutants from the Lakshmanateertha River are mixed in it," he said. He mentioned raising this issue in the legislative assembly and emphasised that we must prevent toxic substances from entering waterbodies. "Everyone must become aware and actively protect the environment," he advised. "Every home should plant at least one tree and encourage others to do the same," he said, and praised Automotive Axles Limited for undertaking the development of the Koorgalli lake as part of World Environment Day celebrations.
New Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Tenders for Bengaluru Tunnel Road phase 1 to be floated soon, says Dy CM Shivakumar
BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said tenders for the first phase of Bengaluru's Tunnel Road project will be floated soon, after the Cabinet approved its construction in two phases. He was speaking to media after holding a high-level meeting with the officials on Saturday regarding the Tunnel Road in Bengaluru and the conduct of Cauvery Aarti at KRS in Mandya. 'A meeting was held with Greater Bangalore Authority (GBA) officials, DGP of the Police Department, IGP and Traffic Police Department officials before calling tenders for this project with the aim of avoiding traffic congestion at the entry and exit points of the Tunnel Road in Bengaluru,' he said. 'No exit will be allowed anywhere within one km of the Vidhan Soudha. Traffic jams happen everywhere here. So I have instructed the police officers to check this,' he said. 'It has been decided to construct a 114-km elevated corridor in Bengaluru, and the opinion of the traffic police officers has been sought regarding this project,' he said. Shivakumar also spoke about garbage management and said, 'We have decided to call a total of 33 packages for garbage disposal in Bengaluru, one for each of the big constituencies. This project, worth about Rs 4,000 crore, was approved in the recent cabinet meeting. Tenders are being called for a period of seven years,' he said.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Cauvery Aarti will bring togethersouth Indian cultures: Shivakumar
Bengaluru: Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday announced that the upcoming Cauvery Aarti programme at the KRS reservoir will be developed into a landmark cultural event for south India, bringing together traditions of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry — the states through which the Cauvery flows. "This ritual will become a symbol of Karnataka's culture and heritage," Shivakumar, who also holds the water resources portfolio, said after a meeting at Vidhana Soudha. "It will also serve as a regional celebration by including traditions of Kodagu, Malnad, Coastal Karnataka, Bengaluru, and major religious mutts," he added. Planned as a three-day event every weekend, the programme, a pet project of Shivakumar, will feature a blend of religious ceremonies and cultural performances. A Rs 92-crore budget has already been sanctioned by the Cauvery Corporation for the initiative. Shivakumar said the departments of energy, public works, tourism, muzrai, and Kannada and culture will collaborate for the event. A 10,000-seat gallery for public viewing is also on the drawing board. "We have invited entries for the best theme song for the event," he added. "Most of the designs are ready. Once the plans are finalised, they will be shared with the public," he said. A stage for the rituals will be built on flowing water, and tenders for its construction will be floated shortly. —- Meeting deliberates GBPA implementation Shivakumar also held a high-level review meeting with Bengaluru legislators and senior officials to discuss rain-related damage, city development, and the implementation of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act (GBPA). The meeting, aimed at addressing urban infrastructure challenges and accelerating development initiatives, saw the participation of several cabinet ministers and elected representatives from across the city. Ministers KJ George, Ramalinga Reddy, BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, and Krishna Byre Gowda attended the meeting, along with MLAs NA Haris, Rizwan Arshad, Gopalaiah, Satish Reddy, Muniraju, ST Somashekar, Uday Garudachar, CK Ramamurthy, Manjula Limbavali, Ravi Subramanya, Anekal Shivanna, and MLC Sudhamadas. Shivakumar reviewed the preparedness of civic bodies to handle monsoon-related disruptions and instructed authorities to fast-track projects under GBPA for more efficient governance and service delivery in the rapidly growing metropolis.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A data center is not a utility. Don't shove it down Oldham County's throat.
In the final days of the legislative session, language was added to a bill and passed before anyone in the public could look at it and learn more. That bill provides a massive tax incentive package to create a 267-acre data center in our county. No one asked us if we wanted such a noisy, environmentally destructive monstrosity. They knew not to ask. We would have told them no. And now, we are. Through a series of open records requests we have obtained, we have learned that the powers that be have made the unilateral decision that a data center is a 'utility,' which means they think the project can proceed without public comment or planning and zoning approval. Unfortunately, this blatant attempt at bending the law is being exercised on land that is zoned for agricultural use. The attorney on the case at a high-powered law firm is single-handedly making this assumption. She doesn't live here. And she's not one of us, but she's gathering billable hours at our expense every day. Data centers are springing up all over the country, and in almost every case, they are being shoved down the people's throats with the same playbook they're using here. No community wants a data center on prime agricultural land that can never return to its state once they start pouring concrete all over the county. They are associated with devastating environmental impacts, including alterations to important ecosystems as a result of the noise and light pollution and emissions they chug out. Further, they use vast amounts of water to cool their systems, because, well, they use a lot of energy. LG&E would love to sell it to them with their local monopoly. And a large data center can gobble up to 5 million gallons of water each day. Gerth: Greenberg finally did right rejecting tennis center in Joe Creason Park | Opinion State law (KRS 278.010) makes absolutely no allowances for 'data centers' as utilities, and as they provide nothing to the public, that makes sense. To be considered a utility, per state law, the project would have to generate energy 'to or for the public.' We find that a stretch. We, the people, have told our elected leaders we are opposed to the project. We have raised our voices at fiscal court meetings, at coffee shops and at community meetings. They think they can slide this under the rug and get it done before anyone notices. We've noticed. We are unhappy with the lack of concern from the people elected by us to represent our interests. We call on them to speak up on our behalf now, before it's too late. Agree or disagree? Submit your letter to the editor. Nathan Oberg is a long-time resident of Oldham County, graduate of Oldham County High School and president of 'We Are Oldham County,' a nonprofit organization that actively opposes 'Project Lincoln.' Owning a 50-acre family farm, Nathan has deep roots in the area and a strong commitment to preserving the county's heritage and natural beauty. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Oldham County data center offers nothing to the public I Opinion
