Bengaluru, August 1, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A group of environmentalists, activists, writers, journalists and public figures from Karnataka has urged Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to take a consistent stand on environmental issues and show the same concern for Karnataka’s ecology that he has expressed over the Great Nicobar Island Project.
An open letter, sent by actor and activist Chetan Ahimsa on behalf of ‘Team Ahimsa’, has been endorsed by 30 signatories, including conservationists, tribal representatives, lawyers, journalists and film personalities.
The signatories acknowledged Gandhi’s opposition to the Union government’s Great Nicobar Island Project, saying they appreciated his concerns over ecological damage and risks to indigenous communities. However, they urged him to apply the same environmental standards to projects in Karnataka.
“If the ecological destruction in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands deserves national outrage, then the same moral standard should apply everywhere, including in states governed by your own party,” the letter stated.
The activists alleged that the Karnataka government has continued to support projects that could impact forests, rivers, biodiversity and local communities despite being in power for more than three years.
The letter highlighted the proposed Mekedatu Dam Project as one of the major ecological concerns. The signatories claimed the project could submerge around 12,350 acres, including parts of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary and five villages, besides affecting wildlife habitats and elephant corridors.
They also questioned the rising estimated cost of the project and whether it represented the most sustainable solution for Bengaluru’s water requirements.
The group raised concerns over Karnataka’s mining policy, alleging that single-window approvals could weaken environmental scrutiny. It also opposed the proposed Bidadi Township Project, claiming that the acquisition of nearly 9,600 acres of agricultural land could put pressure on water resources and affect food security.
The activists said environmental protection should remain above political considerations, stating that “forests do not vote, rivers do not recognise party symbols, and elephants do not distinguish between political parties.”
The memorandum sought the scrapping of the Mekedatu project in favour of sustainable alternatives, removal of the single-window mining approval system with stronger action against illegal mining, and withdrawal of the Bidadi Township proposal.
The letter was signed by several prominent environmentalists and public figures, including Yellappa Reddy, Pandurang Hegde, Kavitha Lankesh, Neetu Shetty, B.T. Lalitha Naik, K.N. Jagadish and Chetan Ahimsa.
FOLLOW NOW
