By Violet Pereira, Team Mangalore

Mangalore: In past three months there had been drinking water problem in the city corporation limits.  If the situation still  continues in the coming years, the water problem will increase and there will be no solution, said JD(s) State Secretary M G Hegde in a press meet held at Hotel Woodlands, Buntshostel road, here on July 10.

Hegde stated that, the  Netravati diversion project will not be possible because in the name of Yettinahole project the water will be  diverted from Netravati river which is the lifeline of the coastal districts and the river diversion is unscientific and uneconomical.  Instead the government can sanction funds to develop rain water harvesting, so that people of the coast will not face any water crisis.

If the Yettinahole project is implemented, the whole district will suffer from water crisis. He warned the authorities to drop the idea of implementing the Yettinahole project, if  not JD(s) will protest in a big way.

He also said that the old fish Market in Bejai was demolished and the foundation stone was laid for the new fish market 5 years ago.  The construction work was in progress for two years and later the work stopped and till now the market has not been completed. So without any other alternatives, this has forced the Fish sellers to sit in front of the Bejai Church compound and sell the fish.

The half constructed fish market building has become a breeding for mosquitoes due to water accumulating in and around the building. The government has already spent money in lakhs, and the iron rods which are used in construction have rusted. The tax payers money has been wasted and the Mayor and the ruling BJP party should be answerable to the people of the City.

Hegde demanded the  concerned authority to respond within 48 hours of time and to clarify the delay in building the market.  If the authority fails to respond within the given time, with the leadership of Ratnakar Suvarna (President of Fishermen Unit),  we will protest in front of Mangalore City Corporation, Hegde warned. 

President JD(S) M B Sadashiva, President Fishermen unit, Ratnakar Suvarna,  General Secretary Yashwant Bolor, District Secretary Pradeep Prabhakar, Sharath Shetty, Vasanth Poojary, Tannirbavi President, Lathish Puthran,  Girish Hoigebazar, Aslam Mangaladevi and Ram Ganesh were also present.