Villagers put up banners restricting entry of politicians in Tirthahalli taluk

Residents of several villages in Tirthahalli taluk, who have been opposing the multi-crore multi-village drinking water supply scheme, have put up banners restricting the entry of politicians seeking votes to their villages.

Residents of several villages in Tirthahalli taluk, who have been opposing the multi-crore multi-village drinking water supply scheme, have put up banners restricting the entry of politicians seeking votes to their villages.

The residents of Kodlu, Savali, Heggodu, Balekodlu and other villages in the taluk have been opposing the multi-village water supply scheme, being implemented under the Jal Jeevan Mission, at a cost of ₹344 crore. They allege that the project, approved in 2022, was only to benefit the contractor and the politicians. The project has been designed to lift water from Bheemeshwara Sangama, where rivers Malathi and Tunga join, and supply the same to 1,616 habitations in 36 gram panchayats.

They have been staging protests opposing the scheme for the last six months, stating that the taluk did not require such a project. As most of the villages are located on the banks of rivers, the scheme is unnecessary, the villagers say.

The villagers, disappointed over politicians’ disregard for their protest, put up banners prohibiting the entry of politicians. A banner placed at Heggodu states that the villagers, opposing the multi-village water scheme, prohibit the entry of politicians. If they enter, they would face protests from the villagers. Similar banners have been placed in many villages.

However, the taluk administration has intervened in the issue, and they have ordered the removal of the banners. The officials of gram panchayats have been asked to remove them. The villagers have opposed the removal of the banners. “We are not violating the Model Code of Conduct, as the posters are not in support of any politician or party,” said Abhilash, one of the protesters.