Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Apr 24: There is sufficient water storage at Thumbe vented dam and AMR dam to meet the drinking water needs of Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) limits until June 10. However, in view of increased demand during summer and to ensure adequate supply to areas like Surathkal, water rationing will be implemented from May 1, said deputy commissioner (DC) and MCC administrator Darshan H V.
He shared this information with reporters on Friday after a phone-in programme held at the MCC office.
At present, 160 MLD of water is being pumped from Thumbe, and the pumping will continue daily. However, water supply will be restricted to certain areas for a few hours, ensuring that all 60 wards of the corporation receive adequate water at least once every two days, the DC said.
As of April 24, the water level at Thumbe dam stands at 4.53 metres, while AMR dam has 18.53 metres of water. So far, water has not been released from AMR to Thumbe. He added that due to rainfall in the Western Ghats and surrounding areas, there is inflow into the dams.
Regarding illegal water connections in rural areas linked to the city supply, he said a meeting has already been held. More than 40 illegal connections have been identified, and there are allegations of several new unauthorized connections, which are under verification. On humanitarian grounds, these connections have not yet been disconnected. Steps are being taken to install meters and regulate water supply to villages, he said in response to a query.
The issue of unauthorized flex banners was also raised, with installations even being carried out on road dividers. He said such practices will not be allowed under any circumstances, including for government programmes. MLAs and MLCs have been informed, and strict zero-tolerance action will be taken against such installations in the coming days.
The ongoing Jalasiri project in the city has been given a deadline for completion by the end of December. However, in view of the monsoon, instructions have been issued to close all trenches dug for the works by May 20. A review meeting will be held again on Monday. No excavation will be permitted during the monsoon, and directions have been issued to ensure all dug-up areas are completely restored, he said.
Tenders have been invited for desilting of stormwater drains and rajakaluves within the corporation limits at a cost of around Rs 4 crore across 32 packages. Work has already begun in 27 packages, while the remaining will start within a week. In light of allegations that improper desilting leads to artificial flooding, 2 to 5 local residents will be involved in monitoring and providing feedback during the works. Teams have also been formed to respond quickly to natural calamities during the monsoon. Discussions have been held with forest officials to address issues caused by fallen trees, and steps are being taken under the direction of the new RFO to trim branches where necessary before the monsoon. MESCOM has also deployed seven personnel to ensure proper functioning of streetlights and transformers within city limits. All related information is expected by May 20, he said.
Desilting work will also be carried out in areas prone to artificial flooding, including Jyothi and Pumpwell. At Pumpwell, where water from five directions is causing problems, measures are being taken to block inflow from three directions. Plans are also in place to raise the service road bridge by one metre and widen the drain near the mosque. The height of the bridge in front of TMA Pai is also proposed to be increased, with the work to be taken up after the monsoon, the DC added.
Under the Smart City initiative, instructions have been issued to complete the installation of LED streetlights in all wards within the Mangaluru City Corporation limits by the end of June. Following this, the system will be integrated with the corporation’s command and control centre, enabling automatic switching on and off of streetlights simultaneously, said the DC.
A total of 66,000 LED streetlights are to be installed within the corporation limits. After completion, initially about half of the wards will be brought under the control room system, where the switching on and off of streetlights will be automated. Due to a shortage of linemen, there have been instances where streetlights remain on in the morning as personnel have to move from one location to another. This automated system is expected to resolve such issues, the DC said.
When Praveen Kumar from Bangra Kuloor called and said that he had not received a water bill for a year, the deputy commissioner questioned officials as to why the bill had not been issued despite the consumer being willing to pay.
Ignatius D’Souza raised an objection stating that sewage water was being discharged into the stormwater drain. Ramachandra from Ekkur complained that roadside vending activities along the right side of the road from Ekkur to Bajal in the evenings were blocking the road, causing inconvenience to the public due to vehicles being parked.
Felix from Vamanjoor called to say that highway work is ongoing from Mangalajyothi to Vamanjoor, and due to the lack of a crossing facility in this stretch, thousands of schoolchildren and members of the public are forced to take longer routes to reach schools and churches in the area.
During the phone-in programme, most of the complaints raised by the public were related to poor drainage systems.
Other major complaints included a demand to shift the private bus stand from State Bank to Pumpwell, installation of zebra crossings on Marakada, Jyothinagar, and Kavoor Road, lack of water supply despite having a connection in the 2nd block of Surathkal Janata Colony, and the issue of rajakaluve water entering houses near Subhash Nagar during the monsoon.
MCC commissioner Ravichandra Naik and senior officials from various departments were present.