The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has called upon the State government to transparently address critical doubts, conduct rigorous scientific assessments, and outline definitive measures, to protect coastal ecosystem, before proceeding with the Yettinahole Integrated Drinking Water Supply Project.

Talking to reporters in Mangaluru on Wednesday, AAP State President Vivekananda Salins said experts have stated that the project was unscientific and have warned of severe damage to ecologically sensitive Western Ghats. There were growing fears that upstream pumping will drastically reduce inflows and cause Netravathi River to run dry during lean months. Despite these risks, the government has neither conducted comprehensive downstream analysis nor proposed alternative water sources for the coastal region.

Mr. Salins said similar pattern of delay and mismanagement was seen in Varahi Irrigation project in Udupi district. Despite over ₹1,000 crore being spent, the project still remained incomplete even after 40 years, he said.

The Yettinahole project involved diversion of 24.01 TMC of water from west flowing streams to mitigate the drinking water needs of drought prone Chikkaballapur and Kolar districts, and parts of Hassan, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Bengaluru South and Bangaluru Rural district. The State government has approved ₹12,912 crore for the project.