District admin responsible for water crisis in Udupi: MLA Raghupathi Bhat
Udupi: MLA Raghupathi Bhat has appealed to Deputy Commissioner Hephsiba Rani Korlapati to take steps to supply water through tankers in order help residents overcome acute water scarcity in Udupi town.
MLA told mediapersons on Tuesday that the deputy commissioner and the district administration should be held responsible for creating drinking water crisis.
He said the tender approved for supplying water through tankers in four wards should be extended to all the 35 wards in Udupi City Municipal Council.
“The failure to form the council in Udupi CMC and model code of conduct were the major obstacles for not convening meetings with the officials and deputy commissioner. Since nine months councillors despite being elected to the CMC, have been rendered jobless,” he said.
The deputy commissioner should initiate steps on setting up the governing body, he said and added that the water crisis could have been avoided if governing body was in place in Udupi CMC.
Bhat said both deputy commissioner and CMC officials were involved in a blame game and no one was ready to take the responsibility.
The CMC should have launched the work on lifting water from the small ponds. Chief secretary should direct the district administration to hold meetings on water crisis and preparedness for monsoon.
The MLA said water available in the ponds near Mane, Bandarigudde and Puttige Mutt is sufficient for another 25 days, if it is pumped to Baje reservoir.
He said that he had met deputy commissioner along with the MP on April 25 and had urged to pump water from Baje and use tankers to supply water in parched areas.
Bhat warned of floods during the monsoon as silt had not been dredged in many rivers in the district.
