Govt admits forest violations in Yettinahole project implementation

Bengaluru/Mangaluru: The Karnataka government has acknowledged to the Union environment ministry that forest land was used in violation of statutory norms during the execution of the Yettinahole Integrated Drinking Water Project in Hassan district, a recent report has revealed.

According to official sources, the state submitted a detailed report to the central government admitting that an estimated 107 hectares of forest land were utilised in the project without the requisite clearances under the Forest (Conservation) Act. The disclosure follows increasing scrutiny by environmental activists and multiple petitions challenging the legality of work being carried out in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats, a UNESCO-recognised biodiversity hotspot.

The Yettinahole project, conceived to supply drinking water to several drought-prone districts in Karnataka, has remained controversial for years. While proponents argue it will cater to the water needs of millions, critics maintain that the large-scale diversion of streams and forest land usage threatens biodiversity and runs counter to environmental safeguards. Independent investigations by environmental groups have suggested that substantial areas of forest, including tracts that should have been subject to mandatory central clearance, were cleared without formal approval.

Under the Forest (Conservation) Act, any non-forest use of designated forest land requires clearance by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Failure to obtain such clearance can lead to legal action and project delays. Authorities say the state government reported its “oversight” in commencing certain works before obtaining mandatory approvals, and has pledged full cooperation with central regulators.

Environmental activists and local stakeholders, however, have questioned whether the extent of forest diversion disclosed so far represents the full picture, pointing to additional areas where work has proceeded ahead of clearances.

A formal response from the ministry on the matter is awaited.

Observers say the controversy underscores the ongoing tension between developmental aspirations and conservation imperatives in ecologically sensitive regions of the country.