The Hindu
Pic by Dayanand Kukkaje for Daijiworld News Network

Mangalore, Sep 12: The Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers Limited (MCF) contributed Rs 4 crore to the Mangalore City Corporation's second vented dam fund.

Prabhakar Rao, vice-president (production), MCF, handed over the cheque to Mayor K Ashraf at a function held in the council hall.

Ashraf said this was a historic moment for the corporation as it was now possible to raise funds from companies for the development of the city.

He said this was a vital contribution towards the dam to be built across the Netravati at Thumbe near Mangalore at an estimated cost of Rs 40 crore. He said MCF had promised to pay Rs 4 crore to the corporation as an "advance water tax" that would be adjusted towards water bills payable by the MCF.

Under the urban development programme, funded by the Asian Development Bank, the city already had 800 km pipeline that would have to be charged with water.

But the old dam and pumping system at Thumbe did not have the capacity for that task, he said.

He had requested the Deputy Chief Minister to release Rs 30 crore towards the vented dam provided the corporation could pay Rs 10 crore as its contribution.

He said the dam should be ready to supply water from the next rainy season.