Government accused of causing water shortage in Mangalore

Government accused of causing water shortage in Mangalore

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, April 24, 2012 : Addressing a press conference in the District Congress office on April 24 Tuesday, Vijayakumar Shetty, the former MLA, accused the district administration, the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC), and the state government of being responsible for the water problems plaguing the city from March 18.

Stating that the state government has approved several power projects and constructed dams over the rivers Nethravathi and Kumaradhara to satisfy the water requirements of these projects, he said that the government is raking in crores of rupees as profit at the cost of the people.

The state government’s projects include the Western Hydro Energy Private Limited at Sakleshpur, the International Power Corporation Limited at Marnahalli, Nagarjuna Hydro Energy Private Limited at Gundya, Disha Power Project at Kadaba, Barooka Power Private Limited at Nidle, Sagar Power Private Limited, Barooka Power Private Limited, and Hrithvik Power Private Limited, he said.

Stating that the flow of water in these two rivers is very low this year, he said that the district administration ought to have ordered the above-mentioned projects to stop production of power from January. The district administration should have also prevented these projects from storing water in their dams so that the water could have been stored in the Thumbay vented dam instead.

He accused the district administration of allowing these projects to produce power till Feb 16, depleting the level of water in the Thumbay vented dam and creating drinking water scarcity for the public.

Several Congress workers such as Shashidhar Hegde, Arun Coelho, Deepak, Ajith Kumar, Bhasker, Sadashiva Ullal, and others were also present.