Bengaluru: As if the government is still ambiguous over the appropriateness of the Yettinahole project, it has sought more time from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to state its stand on the project.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) is due to give its clearance to the project on December 18.

The NGT will hear the case on Monday and the government will inform the tribunal on maintaining status quo on the project. The government will not execute project work till further orders from the tribunal, Minister for Water Resources M.B. Patil told presspersons after an all-party meeting here on Friday adding that the project covers 14 acres of the forest in the Western Ghat. The MoEF will hold a meeting on December 18 and is expected to clear the State’s plea.

It is only after this clearance from the MoEF, that the government will give its position on the appropriateness of the drinking water project before the NGT.

However, the CM has said that the project, which has faced bitter opposition from the coastal people will not be stopped.

The Rs. 12,912-crore Yettinahole project envisages drinking water to districts of Bengaluru Rural, Kolar, Tumakuru and Chickballapur. A sum of Rs. 1,598.74 crore had been spent on the project till October, 2015. Currently, works have been taken up in five packages. Mr. Patil said there would not be any difficulty in obtaining clearance from the MoEF since it was a drinking water project.