The much-hyped Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) project near the Bengaluru International Airport is in trouble, as a large number of farmers have objected to the acquisition of their lands in the catchment area of river Arkavathi.
On Monday, more than 100 farmers form Rabbanahalli village in Devanahalli taluk appeared for a public hearing with objections against the notification for land acquisition for the project. The farmers expressed their objections both orally and in written form before the special land acquisition officer of the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB), Bangalore division.
The state government plans to acquire 12,000 acres of land in 29 villages of Devanahalli and Doddaballapura taluks for the ITIR project. The government had already identified about 12,000 acres, and a preliminary notification has also been issued in respect of 2,100 acres in seven villages: Rabbanahalli, Ramanathapura, Aravanahalli, Doddagollahalli, Chapparadahalli and Byradenahalli of Devanahalli taluk and Linganahalli of Doddaballapur taluk.
The KIADB has issued notice to farmers about the land acquisition and asked them to file objections if they were against giving land for the project. It has also told them to be present before the special land acquisition officer at his office in Gandhinagar with their objections. As per the schedule, Rabbanahalli farmers came to the city on Monday and filed their objections. They also opposed the KIADB plan to implement the project in the catchment area of river Arkavathi.
R Narayanaswamy, a farmer, said the farmers would have no objection if the project was implemented on non-agricultural land. “But, the government has chosen the agricultural land that supplies more than 30% of vegetables to Bangalore, for the project,” he said.
Ramanathapura, Aravanahalli, Doddagollahalli, Chapparadahalli, Byradenahalli and Linganahalli farmers’ objections will be heard on August 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 24 and 25, respectively.
KS Harish, the president of Hasiru Sene, a farmers’ association, said the government had issued notices to quarry owners in the villages to stop mining in villages falling under the catchment areas of Arkavathi.
He said pollution would increase if the project was implemented in the proposed land in Devanahalli and Doddaballapur taluks.
Also, the 20% water supply to Bangalore would be affected. On the one hand, the state government had released crores of rupees to rejuvenate Arkavathi, but on the other it was acquiring agricultural land.
