DH News Service DAVANAGERE, Jan 7 Swarnavalli Math seer Gangadharendra Saraswathi swamiji has expressed concern over the linking of the rivers in the Western Ghats and said it was likely to harm the region. There is a proposal to link the Bedthi river with the Varada river and the Nethravathi with the Hemavathi as per the Ganga-Cauvery river linking scheme, the seer said. If the linking of the rivers is taken up without proper examination, the Western Ghats are likely to be harmed, the seer said at the press conference. River-linking is important for providing irrigation facilities to the plains, the seer said, and added that he had no objection towards the same. However, he added that this step should be taken only after the needs of the people who live near the mouths of rivers are taken into consideration. The Math had formed a committee to look into the effects of river-linking, the seer said. The task of environmental protection has been successfully undertaken under the aegis of the Math’s Bedthi-Aghanashini Protection Committee over the past 11 years, the seer said. A comprehensive plan to develop the Uttara Kannada district has been submitted to the government, Gangadharendra Saraswathi swamiji said. There are five rivers in the Uttara Kannada district, the seer pointed out. He added that the rivers should be utilised for drinking water and irrigation purposes. Hydro-electric power can be harnessed without harming the environment, the seer said. A total of five lakh saplings were planted in Uttara Kannada as part of an afforestation scheme here, the seer said. The target has been fixed at seven lakh saplings, he added. The seer also came down on the government’s move to allow mining in the Western Ghats and said he was ready to join an agitation in this connection. However, he declined to comment on the Kudremukh mining issue. CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION: The Swarnavalli Math seer also said he had recommended to the Constitutional Reforms Committee to include concepts of spirituality and morality in the Constitution. He said the word ‘secular’ didn’t have a definition in the Constitution and that it should be suitably defined. ÿ