The Zilla Panchayat resolved to make rainwater harvesting (RWH) mandatory in houses built on 2,000 square feet and above on Tuesday.
It was also decided to issue licences to houses and commercial complexes only after they implement rainwater harvesting system and construct toilets.
Zilla Panchayat Deputy Secretary N R Umesh said an effort is being made to make Dakshina Kannada district free from open defecation. Though the district has won several awards for sanitation, a total of 1,589 households do not have toilets in the district. In this regard, construction of toilets should be made mandatory for houses and commercial complexes, he urged the local body.
Supporting his views, Member Asha Thimmappa Gowda said the recharge of borewells should also be mandatory. Apart from this, the Zilla Panchayat should issue guidelines to all the Gram Panchayats on managing the plastic waste. The Gram Panchayats should make arrangements to collect plastic waste from the houses, she added.
Reacting to it, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive P I Sreevidya said more than 300 recharge structures were built last year. The work on water recharge structures will be taken up under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), she stated.
Incomplete building
Member Shahul Hameed said that a building for Saralikatte high school in Belthangady taluk was sanctioned under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) in 2009-10.
Even after six years, the building construction work has remained incomplete. At present, classess are conducted in a congested classrooms. The ZP CEO said 65 high school buildings were sanctioned under RMSA in Dakshina Kannada district. There has been delay in completing the work.
“I have been reviewing the progress of the building every month,” she added. The Zilla Panchayat members also gave nod for the purchase of anti-rabies vaccine at a cost of Rs 1.58 lakh by the Department of Health and Family Welfare.
The members gave their nod for the budget outlay of Rs 232.53 crore for 2016-17. However, they resolved that 50 per cent of the Rs 13 crore under planned grant should be earmarked for the action plan related to drinking water project and the remaining can be used for spill over works.
The members demanded to know why no funds were earmarked for the drinking water projects in the budget outlay. Though chief planning officer and ZP CEO said that the funds for drinking water projects are released under state head.
She said that the government has clearly instructed us to complete the pending works before taking up any new works. However, the members were adamant on allocation of funds for the drinking water projects and said that the budget should have been prepared after consulting the Zilla Panchayat members.
Standing committees
A bylaw for electing chairpersons and members to the standing committees of the Zilla Panchayat under Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj Act was adopted on the occasion.
Presenting the bylaw, ZP CPO Vishwanath Mudajji said the election to the Standing Committee chairpersons and members can be held only after the House gives approval to the bylaw.
The members discussed at length about the revenue division of Zilla Panchayat and its jurisdiction. The term of the standing committee will be 20 months.
The Zilla Panchayat nominated Sucharitha Shetty and Harish Kanjipili to Central Library Committee.
ZP President Meenakshi Shanthigodu and Vice President Kasturi Panja were
present.
DH News Service
