JOIN USDemanding the setting right of water supply to residents of Jayanagara in Jalligudde of 53rd Ward of Mangalore City Corporation, CPM City unit staged a protest along with residents outside Mayor’s chamber on Friday.
The residents said there is acute shortage of water since last 15 days. “During Eid celebrations, we had to depend on rainwater to cook. We filter rainwater using clothes and use it for cooking and other household chores. The Mayor and the authorities failed to respond to our woes,” the protesters said.
CPM leader Sunil Kumar Bajal said Ward Corporator Sumaiya never visited the area or did anything to help the people of the ward. The residents tried their best to contact her, but she was missing. Later, when residents requested the Mayor to visit the ward, she promised to visit the ward on July 23. Leaving all their work, the residents waited for the Mayor’s visit, but the Mayor failed to turn up to listen to their woes.
Negligent attitude
“The corporator is not bothered of problems faced by residents. Owing to the corporator’s negligent attitude, we have been forced to take this step and stage a protest against the Mayor. We will not move from here till the residents of ward number 53 get water,” they added. An elderly woman said “I can not fetch a pot of water by walking a long distance. The water problem is haunting the residents for the past 15 days.” “We are tired of calling the Corporator. She never responds to our woes,” said another protester. There are more than 200 houses in the vicinity of the Jalligude and all of them are facing water crisis. Though the Corporation made arrangement to supply water through tankers, it does not reach the interior areas. The tanker supplies water to those who reside beside the road.
Mayor Jacintha Vijay Alfred met the protesters and promised to set right the problem by evening. A syntex tank will be placed at Jayanagara to supply water to the residents.
MCC Deputy Commissioner (Development) N Shiva Shankar Swami said that Jayanagara, Jalligudde is situated on an elevated area. There has been disruption in supply of water for the past few days due to technical problem. The MCC has arranged to supply water through tankers. “The work on pipeline is being repaired near the railway bridge in the area and will be completed and water will be supplied by Saturday. We are changing the pipeline so that water will flow at ease.”