Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru, Apr 18: The first multi-village drinking water project in Dakshina Kannada district, aimed at supplying water to about 14 surrounding villages, was inaugurated at Bajpe here on Tuesday April 18. A check dam constructed across the Phalguni river at Malavoor as part of the project, was also inaugurated.
Addressing the gathering after the inauguration, district in-charge minister Ramanath Rai said, "The multi-village drinking water project at Sangabettu is on the verge of completion and will be commissioned in a week's time. The work on a similar project at Kinnigoli has been hampered due to unscientific work by a Hyderbad firm which had taken the contract. These projects will meet the water needs of Mangaluru and Bantwal taluks."
MLA Abhaychandra Jain said that though the project had begun with an estimated cost of Rs five crore, the cost escalated over the different phases of work. Appreciating the efforts of all those who were involved in making this project a reality, he said, "The presidents of all the eight gram panchayats raised funds of over Rs 15 lac to assist the project."
Rajya Sabha MP Oscar Fernandes said, "The Malavoor project will be a boost to other such projects in the district. This project will not only recharge the groundwater level, but also increase the water supply in wells and borewells.
MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, former mayor Shashidhar Hegde and others were present.
About the project
The project was completed at an estimated cost of Rs 45 crore with funds released by both the state and the central governments. This was the first of seven multi-village drinking water projects being undertaken in the district. Five of these projects are in Bantwal and one in Kinnigoli, all of which are in various stages of construction. The newly-inaugurated project is expected to meet drinking water needs of a population of 56,000 people under eight gram panchayats in 14 villages like Malavoor, Jokatte, Bajpe, Kenjar, Moodushedde and others.
The check dam is 199 metres long and has a water purification unit with five MLD capacity near Kenjar. The ground-level water reservoir can hold 10.15 lac litres of water, while the elevated water tanks at Siddartha Nagar and Tarikamba have a capacity to hold 2.5 lac and 3 lac litres, respectively.