Officials asked to tackle water crises on ’war footing’
Mangalore Today News Network
Mangaluru, April 2, 2015: Chairing a meeting on April 1, District incharge Minister Ramanath Rai directed officials from taluk panchayats and ULBs to take up emergency work related to drinking water to mitigate the water crisis on a priority. He said priority should be given to flushing borewells, extension of pipelines and repair of pumps instead digging of new borewells. In essential cases borewells should be dug.
"Elected representatives should not receive any complaints on shortage of drinking water. A grant of Rs 2.80 crore has been allotted to the district to tackle the drinking water crisis during the summer. Rs 40 lakh had been distributed to each of the rural assembly segment. The officials should initiate all necessary steps, in coordination of other departments, to ensure that there would not be any kind of drinking water crisis during the summer."
He cautioned officials would be held responsible if there were complaints of any kind of lapses on their part leading to drinking water crisis in the rural areas. Mangaluru taluk officials said that Kotekar, Belma and Harekala region will face acute shortage of water during peak summer.
Action plan has been prepared under the Task Force to tackle the crisis. Bantwal official said that eight borewells have been sunk and there is a demand for drilling 44 borewells. Pajeer, Kairangala, Balepuni areas face shortage of water. Kadaba in Puttur taluk is facing shortage of water.
Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim directed the officials keep ready the address and contact numbers of tanker owners to supply water in case of emergency. The officials should also focus on ensuring that no private borewells can be dug within 500 meter radius of a borewell meant for drinking water supply.
Connections : Minister for Health and Family Welfare U T Khader said officials should ensure that there was no shortage of water during peak summer. Additional quantity of water needs to be supplied to Ullal from Thumbay during Urs at the Ullal Dargah from April 2. Mescom should provide temporary connections to the drinking water works within two days of apply.
MLA J R Lobo said illegal water connections from Thumbay main line which supplies water to Mangalore City Corporation limits reduces the availability of water to the City. If leakages at several points in the city are checked, then the availability of water will be increased.
"If Thumbay, Arkula, Pudu and Adyar gram panchayats install water meters to water points in their locality, and collect bill amount from the residents, then problem will be solved to some extent."
Deputy Commissioner (Development) Kantaraj said a few high level areas in the MCC limits are not getting water. As a result, water is supplied through tankers on a daily basis. Official from Mulki TMC said four wards in the TMC limits is facing shortage of water. So water is supplied through tankers.
DK DC said that in spite of district receiving heavy rainfall, it is facing acute shortage of water during summer. The officials should also give priority to recharge the ground water. Rain water harvesting system needs to be enforced. To which, ZP CEO P I Sreevidya said that more number of works related to recharging of ground water level will be taken up under MGNREGS this year as planned.