The Hindu
MANGALORE, Oct 23: The State Government has plans to provide 24-hour drinking water supply on all days to select wards of the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) on a pilot basis, according to Minister for Urban Development S. Suresh Kumar.
Later it may be extended to all 60 wards of the corporation, he told presspersons here on Tuesday. Earlier, the Minister reviewed the progress of development works in the limits of the corporation, listened to people’s grievances and held a meeting with officials.
Kumar said that the Government had implemented the 24-hour drinking water supply project in Gulbarga, Belgaum and Hubli city corporations. Eight wards in each of those corporations were provided 24/7 water supply on a pilot basis. The project was found to be sustainable. Now the Government was planning to extend it to all the wards in those corporations. Referring to the progress in the laying of an additional pipeline from Thumbay vented dam to the city to supply drinking water, Mr. Kumar said that the two contractors had been instructed to complete the work by December-end.
Kumar said that the corporation had identified three places to build multilevel parking complexes. The Minister said that a coordination committee comprising officials from the corporation, Mangalore Urban Development Authority, Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd. and departments of Forest and Police would be constituted shortly to solve issues that would arise while executing development works in the limits of the corporation. It should meet once a month, he added.
Kumar said that a task force called Nirmala Mangalore would be constituted in a month to plan development activities for the city. Some persons from non-governmental organisations could be part of the task force. It will be headed by the Deputy Commissioner.
The Minister said that the corporation had decided to create eight zones in its limits to make administration easy. This would be done in two months.
He said that the corporation authorities had identified 35 commercial buildings which had violated building rules. They had used the parking area for commercial purposes such as setting up shops. The corporation had decided to clear those shops, he added. The Minister said that the engineer concerned of the corporation would be held responsible if the parking area in any commercial building was misused.