Mandya: JD(S) MLA from Srirangapatna, Ravindra Srikantaiah, said yesterday, “Mining is not to extract gold or ore but only to crush stones. If it is illegal, let the MP regularise it. She has never raised her voice in favour of the Mekedatu project and had not uttered a word when there was oxygen shortage to Mandya. She is diverting the people’s attention to cover up her mistakes.”

On Sumalatha’s statement that Kumaraswamy was an MLA and she was an MP having won from eight Assembly segments, Ravindra Srikantaiah said, “She might have forgotten the fact that it was former PM and JD(S) Supremo H.D. Deve Gowda, who brought her husband and actor M.H. Ambarish into politics.”

“You have won only one election whereas Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy have contested a number of elections and won. Sympathy wave helped you win Lok Sabha polls. Use your wisdom whenever you comment on Kumaraswamy,” he said.

‘Kumaraswamy taking electoral revenge’

At a press conference in Mysuru yesterday, Lakshmana said that the Institution of Engineers, Mysuru Centre, had submitted a report warning authorities of ‘service failure affecting the capacity of the Dam’ if quarrying continued around the Reservoir. 

“Even the report submitted by Karnataka State Natural Disasters Monitoring Committee (KSNDMC) indicates imminent threat to the KRS Dam due to high-intensity quarry blasts and the resultant ground vibrations,” he noted.

“Many expert themes have inspected the stone crushing units at a radial distance of 20 kilometres from the Dam to ascertain the mining impact on the 90-year-old Dam structure and all of the experts have opined that the Dam is endangered due to rampant mining. There is mounting pressure from the mining and quarrying industries to resume blasting operations,” he alleged. 

He defended Sumalatha by saying that there are 104 mining companies indulging in mining activity around the Dam.

No cracks in KRS: CNNL

Meanwhile, Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited (CNNL) that manages the KRS Dam has informed the Government that there are no cracks in KRS Dam and the structure is safe.

“CNNL Chief Engineer Shankaregowda has written to the Government on July 1 about the safety of the Dam. Even Mandya MP Sumalatha has also been informed about the absence of cracks in the Dam and its safety,” said CNNL Superintending Engineer Vijaykumar.