Mysuru: Black colour dominated the city this morning as over 10,000 people, wearing black caps and black attire, protested against unnecessary development projects in Kodagu, primarily the proposed Thalassery-Mysuru Railway line that cuts through the vast pristine forest area in South Kodagu. Those not wearing black dress sported black bands on their arms.

Youths, men, women, elderly and children from Mysuru, Kodagu and Bengaluru descended on the Karnataka Exhibition Grounds for the ‘Kodagu Against Railway’ rally to raise their voice against the Railway and National Highway projects that will ultimately lead to the drying up of River Cauvery, the lifeline of the people of South Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Over 35 buses from various parts of Kodagu had come to the rally carrying people from Madikeri, Kushalnagar, Virajpet, Gonikoppal, Ponnampet, Srimangala, Balele and Kutta. The protest was organised under the banner “Kodagu Ulisi Horata Samithi” that does not belong to any political party.

A rally was taken out from the Exhibition Grounds and proceeded towards Hardinge Circle, Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple and returned to Hardinge Circle and to the Exhibition Grounds, where leaders and environmental activists addressed the protesters. Protesters, carrying placards and banners, opposed the Railway line. Over 50 bikers wearing black dress accompanied the protesters.

A team from Kannur in Kerala too joined the protest and it was led by Neelakantan and Manoj. They carried placards written in Malayalam, opposing the Railway line. Mysuru Hotel Owners Association, Gowda Samaja, Amma Kodava Samaja, Kodava Muslim Association, Heggade Samaja, all Kodava Samajas in Kodagu, Mysuru Kodava Samaja, Cauvery Education Society, Cauvery Mahila Sangha, Akhila Kodava Samaja, Kerala Hindu Association Kodagu had extended their support to the protest and even participated in the rally.

Leaders including Coorg Wildlife Society President Colonel C.P. Muthanna, noted environmentalist Suresh Heblikar, Supreme Court Advocate Brijesh Kalappa, Kokkalemada Manju Chinnappa, Machimada Ravindra, Kodagu Mysuru MP Pratap Simha and others addressed the gathering. Sportsperson Arjun Devaiah, former MLC Arun Machaiah and others were present.

In his address, Col. C.P. Muthanna said, “Kodagu is the principal catchment of River Cauvery and contributes over 70% of the total inflow into the KRS Dam. The Cauvery River is the life line for South India and sustains over eight crore people and 600 major industries across the region. Railway lines will be nothing but death knell for Cauvery and Kodagu,” he said.  

“These mindless projects are being done to cater to the tourism industry. However, when Kodagu has a population of barely 5 lakh, getting between 14 to 20 lakh tourists annually is not sustainable. There should be a cap on tourists,” said Muthanna, adding that the organisation was preparing to file Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petitions in the High Court to stop the projects.

Concern over Cauvery, Western Ghats

“You will not get an ounce of water to drink and the entire Cauvery Basin will go dry. Over 60,000 trees have been cut to lay a high-tension power line from Mysuru to Kozhikode in Kerala and we are seeing its effects now as since the past two years there is lack of rainfall in the catchment areas. If the destruction continues, the day is not far when Cauvery goes dry,” Muthanna said.

In his address, Suresh Heblikar cautioned the government from taking up such projects. “Western Ghats is formed billions of years ago and unfortunately politicians and policy makers are not realising the importance of forests and greenery. This destruction will spell a doom for all of us and such destructive projects must be stopped.

“Railway line will decimate Kodagu that has already been ravaged by indiscriminate and unwanted development like the Mysuru-Kozhikode high-tension power line that has passed through South Kodagu to supply power to Kerala and for which over 60,000 trees were felled,” he said.

MP Blames Congress govt.

MP Pratap Simha chose to blame the Congress Govt. for the Thalassery-Mysuru Railway line and said the proposal was mentioned in the 2012-2013 Karnataka Budget presented by Chief Minister Siddharamaiah.

“The Union Govt. has no such plans and I have already discussed with Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and this project will not be allowed,” he said and added that the Kerala government and politicians are pressurising the Karnataka government to implement the project.