JOIN USThe work on a vented dam which was taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 1 crore at Pidamale in Vitla Padnoor has come to a halt. It was MLA B Ramanath Rai who had laid foundation for the work in 2012.
About 40 per cent of the work on the dam has been completed. A sum of Rs 40 lakh has already been paid to the contractor. The work has been stopped now. The officials from minor irrigation department have already issued a notice to the contractor to complete the work.
“We used to construct artificial bunds using sand bags to store water during summer to be supplied to arecanut gardens. There are over 150 acre arecanut, coconut, bananna gardens in the region. A few residents depend on the stream for water.
Fiber Glass Reinforced plastic technology was used for the construction of the vented dam. Such technology was effectively implemented in Maharashtra and North Karnataka. The villagers said that though the work was taken up during 2012-13, it was not touched during 2013-14.
Resident Rajaram Pidamale said that the minor irrigation should take keen interest in completing the work. “Owing to incomplete work, we could not store water during this summer for irrigating the farm land,” he rued.