Engineering division must find solutions to water crisis – ZP CEO

Engineering division must find solutions to water crisis – ZP CEO

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, July 25, 2012 : Dr. K. N. Vijayprakash, the CEO of ZP, said that water is going to be a serious problem in Mangalore owing to lack of rains and depleting ground water level. He urged the engineering division to pay more attention to solving water problems and get technical inputs from IIT and NITK.

Sathyanarayan, executive engineer for the engineering division, said that the division has proposed 42 projects under the multi village drinking water scheme, and the estimated cost of these projects is Rs. 575 crore. The division has submitted a report to the government, he said.


 

 

 

Further explaining the issue, he said that a proposal worth Rs. 254 crore has been prepared and submitted to the government for approval and the government has already approved six multi drinking water projects for Bantwal. Sathyanarayan said that a meeting is being held once every 45 days to review progress.

Ishwar Kateel, president of the education and health standing committee, and Janardhan Gowda, president of the social welfare standing committee, said that vented dams must be constructed. In response, the officials said that 219 vented dams are expected to be constructed this year, of which 82 have already been constructed, 72 are in the process of being constructed, and 28 are yet to be constructed.

CEO Vijayprakash said that a committee has been formed to prevent depletion of ground water level, with the DC as its president and CEO Vijayaprakash as its vice president. He also said that all offices will implement rain water harvesting methods to solve the water crisis.

The CEO also said that the information provided by the Mines and Geology Department is incorrect. Stating that the department had informed the media that the percentage of fluoride in water at 10 places in the district is high, he said that the department denied revealing such information when the CEO contacted them.

Free Treatment for BPL Families

District Health Officer O. R. Shrirangappa announced at the monthly KDP meeting held at the Zilla Panchayat in Mangalore on Tuesday that below poverty line (BPL) families can now receive free treatment in specialty hospitals under the Vajapayee Shree Arogya Yojana.

Explaining the scheme, the DHO said that people suffering from major health disorders such as nervous disorders, heart problems, burns, bladder disorders, and others can get free treatment in super specialty hospitals such as AJ Hospital, Mangala Kidney Foundation, Father Mullers, City Hospital, KSHEMA in Deralakatte, KMC Attavar, and Yenepoya Hospital. The government will pay Rs. 1.5 lakh for the treatment of a family with five members.

The DHO said that medical camps will be held especially to identify patients and refer them to these hospitals.

Illicit liquor

K. T. Shailaja Bhat, president of the ZP, chaired the meeting and said that the excise department has failed to control illicit liquor trade. Stating that she receives calls from several women, informing her that illicit liquor is being sold in several shops, she said that raids are of no use as information reaches the culprits well in advance.

Ration Cards

Sharanabasappa, joint director of the Food and Civil Supplies Department, announced that GPs have begun collecting information, photographs, and biometric IDs for the distribution of ration cards. The entire family needs to be present while adding names to existing ration cards, he added.