New Delhi: Allaying apprehensions of environmentalists over Karnataka’s ambitious water supply project, the Centre on Tuesday said the scheme was meant for providing drinking water to many water-starved and drought-prone districts in the state and it had neither irrigation nor hydro power component. The project meant for supplying drinking water to Tumkur, Bangalore (Rural), Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts has, of late, drawn a lot of criticism from environmentalists with green groups alleging that the government had cleared the project by ignoring environment protection rules. It attracted their attention more when M Veerappa Moily had taken additional charge of the Union environment and forest ministry as Chikkaballapur (one of the beneficiary districts) happens to be his parliamentary constituency. Sharing details of the scheme, the ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) on Tuesday, however, made it clear that since the project was purely a drinking water scheme, it did not require any environmental clearance under existing rules and therefore there was no question of flouting green norms. The Drinking Water Supply (DWS) Scheme to Tumkur, Bangalore (Rural), Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts is to be implemented by diverting excess floodwater from west flowing rivers such as Yettinahole, Kadumanehole, Kerihole and Hongadallahole located in Sakleshpur of Hassan district in Western Ghats region. A public sector undertaking of state government — Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Ltd — will implement the scheme. The proposal was discussed by the designated Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) in its 63rd meeting held during December 26-27, 2012 before it was finally approved by the state. The MoEF, in a statement, said, “The EAC upon appraisal of the project observed that it is neither for hydro power development nor comprises irrigation component and therefore, expressed its inability to consider the project for the purpose of Environment Impact Assessment as this does not fall within the purview and mandate of the Committee”. It further said, “The drinking water schemes do not attract the provisions of EIA Notification, 2006 and its subsequent amendment, 2009”. Acting on a complaint, the MoEF had, however, in September, 2013 written to the Karnataka government to ascertain whether the project comprised of any hydropower and irrigation component.