Mysuru: In what was a massive assembly of people, thousands of activists and environmentalists from Kodagu , gathered in the city on Sunday to voice their opposition to the Mysuru-Thalassery rail line, which thyey feared would result in the loss of more than two lakh trees in the district where the River Cauvery originates.Pointing to the grave repercussions that the execution of the project could have on the fragile ecosystem of Kodagu, the protesters said, “The railway project will denude the green cover in the hilly district, which will, in turn result in a decrease in rainfall,” the protesters said. People of Kodagu fear that the rail project could result in the River Cauvery , considered sacred to the Kodavas , going dry.Colonel (Retd.) Muthanna, who has been at the forefront of the protest against the project, said, “River Cauvery, which flows across a length of 800km, is not joining the sea the way it used to near Tamil Nadu. More than 60,000 trees were cut for the Mysuru-Kozhikode high tension wire project, and this railway line will result in another two to three lakh trees being felled. The Cauvery’s flow will reduce further if the project is taken up, affecting agriculture in several parts of the state.”Kannada film actor and environmentalist Suresh Heblikar pointed out that the River Cauvery was an important source of drinking water in the state. “More than 300 multinational companies, 600 industries and thousands of hotels in Bengaluru and Mysuru depend on River Cauvery. The river irrigates 20 lakh acres of land in the state. We need to remember over 40% of the crops failed in the state due to scarcity of water. When developed countries have a single-lane road inside the forest, and no rail connectivity, why are our politicians hell-bent on having four-lane highways and a rail line?” asked Heblikar.The protesters roundly refuted charges of taking up the agitation on the day of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mysuru.In fact, BJP’s Mysuru MP Pratap Simha extended his support to the agitation. “The project, which was announced in the 2012-13 budget is a joint venture of Karnataka and Kerala, and not the initiative of the Centre. I have repeatedly warned chief minister Siddaramaiah about the repercussions of the project, and I will join the people of Kodagu to ensure the Centre does not approve the rail line,” Simha said.In what was largely a peaceful protest, the participants ensured that there were no hurdles to smooth traffic movement. The protesters marched along the pavement from the Dasara Exhibition Grounds, and marched near Chamaraja Circle, before tracing their steps back to the starting point.

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