Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Jan 30: Deputy commissioner (DC) Darshan H V has directed officials to take all necessary steps to ensure there is no disruption in drinking water supply during the upcoming summer season.

Presiding over a meeting of the District Disaster Management Authority on comprehensive drinking water management, held at the district commissioner’s office auditorium on Thursday, he said that drinking water supply should remain uninterrupted and there should be no scarcity in all rural and urban local body wards across the district during summer. In this regard, he instructed all local bodies to immediately prepare action plans and remain fully prepared. Available water sources should be identified and close attention paid to ensure water supply whenever required, he said.

The DC directed that officials should personally and regularly monitor the water source distribution networks in all 14 urban local bodies and gram panchayats in the district. Water tankers should be used only when absolutely necessary, and local bodies should utilise the funds available with them to ensure water supply during summer.

Seeking details on water supply in the Mangaluru City Corporation limits, the DC instructed officials to take immediate action against unauthorised connections in certain areas of the Thumbe–Netravati water supply network. He also directed that agreements be entered into with the concerned gram panchayats and appropriate user charges be collected.

Officials informed the meeting that a total of seven jackwells belonging to the city corporation, various departments and industries are functioning at the Thumbe Netravati dam. As per current calculations, the water presently available in the Netravati dam is sufficient to manage drinking water requirements during the coming summer.

Emphasising that there should be no complaints from the public regarding drinking water, the DC asked urban local bodies and gram panchayats to remain vigilant. He also expressed strong dissatisfaction with the officials of the rural drinking water supply department for failing to provide proper information at the meeting.

Additional deputy commissioner Raju K, deputy conservator of forests Antony Mariappa, Mangaluru sub-divisional officer Meenakshi Arya, and others were present at the meeting.