Multi-village water scheme hits a roadblock

The scheme was initially introduced in two places of the district. Hebri and Nitte in Karkala taluk were chosen to execute the project in the initial phase. Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Prabhakar Sharma informed Deccan Herald that the first phase of the project seems to have been fragmented as a result of the lackadaisical behaviour of the contractors engaged in the project. Since the contractors have not done their job, Zilla Panchayat has recommended the chief engineer to rescind the tender and the contractors are made to pay the penalty.

The multi village drinking water scheme at Nitte is taken up at a cost of Rs 246 lakhs and the fund earmarked for the project at Hebri is nearly Rs 250 lakhs. “The project was supposed to get over by this time and the blue print for the second phase of the scheme should have been planned by now,” Sharma informed.

The CEO said the other option is to permit contractors to extend the time sought by them. Contractors of both the project have come up with the demand for additional time.
However, the demand for extension of time is approved with certain conditions. “I had visited the project site at Nitte last week and held talks with the contractor Prabhakar Bhat. He has sought time up till March end for completing the project. I will shortly visit the project site at Hebri,” he added.

“I also held talks with ZP Chief Engineer and he has informed that time has been extended to both the contractors till March end with certain conditions and warning against their failure to execute the work within the given time. The work will be reinstated by next week” he said. Some parts in the district face acute shortage of groundwater during summer. When surplus drinking water facilities exist in neighbouring areas, multi village drinking water scheme is the best available option to substitute the loss of groundwater collapse in the region. It would be better if the project is executed at the earliest as the rain has stopped paving way to the dry hot weather. On the other hand, the people in the region have to wait for the outcome of the Multi Village Drinking water scheme until the commencement of summer season owing to the recklessness of the contractors.