Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal
Bantwal, Nov 2: Issuing a stern ultimatum to officials over the alleged supply of contaminated drinking water, Bantwal MLA Rajesh Naik has demanded that the water treatment plant serving Bantwal municipality be thoroughly cleaned and restored within two days, warning that he would join residents in the cleaning drive if the authorities failed to act.
The MLA's intervention came following public complaints about the deteriorating condition of the treatment facility, where garbage, sludge and algae have reportedly accumulated, raising serious concerns over the quality and safety of drinking water supplied to residents.
Expressing strong displeasure over the apparent neglect of the facility, Rajesh Naik said negligence by officials in matters directly concerning public health would not be tolerated. He stressed that access to clean drinking water was a basic necessity and that ensuring a safe and uninterrupted supply must be the foremost priority of the department concerned.
Questioning whether water was being adequately treated before being distributed to the public, the MLA warned that officials would be held accountable if consumption of contaminated water led to health complications or the outbreak of diseases. He urged the authorities to take immediate corrective measures rather than wait for the situation to deteriorate further.
Taking up the matter directly with the district administration, Rajesh Naik spoke to the Deputy Commissioner over the phone and drew his attention to complaints of contaminated water supply within Bantwal municipal limits. He demanded immediate cleaning of the entire treatment plant and the completion of essential maintenance work, insisting that a two-day deadline be fixed for the task.
He also contacted the municipal chief officer and instructed the official to ensure that the facility was thoroughly cleaned within the stipulated period and that the water purification system was brought back to proper working condition.
‘I will personally join the cleaning work if officials fail’
In an unusually strong warning to the municipal authorities, Rajesh Naik said he would mobilise local residents and personally participate in cleaning the treatment plant if officials failed to complete the work within two days. He said the exercise would be carried out in the presence of the officials concerned.
"If the municipality lacks funds to clean the treatment plant, let them inform me. I will undertake the cleaning work along with the public," he said.
Reiterating that there could be no compromise on public health, the MLA said officials must recognise the seriousness of their responsibilities. He questioned the accountability of a system sustained by taxpayers' money if it could not guarantee something as fundamental as safe drinking water to the public.
The MLA also emphasised that the municipality must ensure an uninterrupted supply of clean and safe drinking water. He pointed out that cleaning the treatment plant should not be treated as a one-time exercise, but must be followed by a proper system of regular maintenance. Periodic water quality testing, he added, was essential to ensure that residents' health was not put at risk.
Former municipal councillors A Govinda Prabhu, Gangadhara Poojary, Vidyavathi Pramod, Rekha Pai and Hariprasad were present during the inspection.
Prominent persons including Vikas Puttur, Shivaprasad Shetty, Ramdas Bantwal, Suresh Kulal, Janardhana Bondala, Purushotham Shetty Vamadapadavu, Ganesh Das, Pranam Ajjibettu and Vasanth Bhandary, along with members of the City Mahashakti Kendra, were also present.