JOIN USAdditional Rs 2 cr to solve water woes in DK district
Addressing a special meeting convened to discuss the water woes in the district at the Zilla Panchayat Hall here on Tuesday, Palemar said that measures to ensure regular water supply will be initiated from Wednesday onwards. “Since the election code of conduct will be in force, the responsibilities regarding the implementation of all water supply schemes will be handed over to Deputy Commissioner, ZP Chief Executive Officer and Engineers,” he added.
Since water crisis is prevalent in most of the Gram Panchayats and Town Municipalities in the district, solution to the problem will be found on priority. Schemes will be implemented to find permanent solution to water crisis in future. More emphasis will be given for the construction of vented dams and to dig borewells, Palemar said adding that taluk-level Task Force under MLAs have been formed to tackle the water crisis.
While 3,125 residential areas in 203 GPs of the district face water crisis, the problem is severe in 368 villages, he said and added that a total of 163 borewells required to find solution in those areas, where crisis is severe.
ZP CEO P Shivashankar said that the district administration can utilise the Rs 1 crore released under the Natural Calamities Fund for solving water crisis. However, borewells can not be dug using the same fund. The Rs 70 lakh fund sanctioned by the Rural Development and Panchayatiraj Department can be utilised to dig borewells, he added.
Taluk-wise statistics
Officials explained the statistics regarding the crisis in their respective taluks at the meeting. Out of 49 GPs in Mangalore Taluk, 94 villages face the water crisis. Borewells were provided at 41 places, while 53 more borewells required. Meanwhile, tanker water supply is necessary in 8 GPs of Ullal in the taluk.
In Bantwal, problem persists in 54 villages in 47 GPs. A total of 49 new borewells required to tackle the crisis in the taluk. In 37 GPs of Puttur taluk, 27 villages face the water crisis and 15 required borewells required in the region. In Sullia, problem persists in 34 villages out of 41 GPs. A total 16 borewells have dried completely and eight more new borewells required. Meanwhile in 43 GPs of Belthangadi there is a proposal for 9 new borewells, officials informed.
Deputy Commissioner V Ponnuraj assured that tankers will be hired to supply water to areas, where crisis is severe. ZP President Santhosh Kumar Bhandari, Vice President H Jagannath Salian, Standing Committee Presidents Sadananda Malli and Rajashri Hegde were present.
Absence of Task Force Heads
The State government had formed Task Force on water crisis in all taluks under the presidentship of respective constituency MLAs. However, it was unfortunate that none of the MLAs, who are the Task Force Presidents, participated in the special meeting organised to discuss the water crisis at the ZP Hall on Tuesday.
Except Minister J Krishna Palemar, who is the Task Force President for Mangalore North Constituency, all other MLAs and MLCs skipped the crucial meeting. MLAs N Yogish Bhat (Mangalore South), S Angara (Sullia), Vasantha Bangera (Belthangadi), Mallika Prasad Bhandary (Puttur), B Ramanatha Rai (Bantwal), UT Khader (Ullal), Abhayachandra Jain (Mulky-Moodbidri), MLCs Capt Ganesh Karnik and Kota Srinivas Poojary abstained from the meeting for various reasons.