Mangaluru has water stock till June 10; rationing from May 1, says Deputy Commissioner
Mangaluru: Mangaluru city has sufficient stored water to meet supply needs till June 10 from the Thumbe vented dam and AMR dam sources. However, in view of rising summer demand and the need to ensure supply to areas including Surathkal, water rationing will begin from May 1, Deputy Commissioner and Mangaluru City Corporation Administrator Darshan H.V. said.
He shared the information with reporters after a phone-in programme held at the Mangaluru City Corporation office on Friday.
He said 160 MLD of water is currently being pumped from Thumbe and pumping will continue daily. However, supply timings in some areas will be restricted for a few hours. This will help ensure proper water supply at least once in two days to all 60 wards of the corporation.
As of April 24, water level at Thumbe dam stood at 4.53 metres, while the AMR dam had 18.53 metres. No water has yet been released from AMR to Thumbe. He added that rainfall in the Western Ghats and surrounding regions has created inflow into reservoirs.
Responding to a question, the Deputy Commissioner said meetings had already been held regarding illegal water connections in rural areas linked to the city supply network. More than 40 such unauthorised connections have been detected, while objections have been received about several new connections elsewhere.
He said these connections have not been disconnected for humanitarian reasons at present. In future, steps are being taken to regularise supply to villages through metered connections.
Darshan H.V. said unauthorised flex banners had become a problem, with some even being installed on road dividers. He said no permission would be given for such installations, including flex boards for government programmes.
He added that MLAs and MLCs had also been informed and strict zero-tolerance action would be taken in coming days against illegal flex displays.
The Deputy Commissioner said the ongoing Jalasiri project in the city has been given a deadline till the end of December for completion.
Considering the approaching monsoon, directions have been issued to close all trenches already dug for project works before May 20. A review meeting will be held on Monday. No fresh digging will be allowed during the rainy season, and all opened stretches must be fully restored.
Desilting of rajakaluves and stormwater drains within city limits has been tendered in 32 packages at a cost of around Rs. 4 crore. Work has already begun in 27 packages, while the remaining packages will start within a week.
As complaints were raised earlier that poor desilting work caused artificial flooding, local residents will now be involved in monitoring the works. Around two to five interested persons from each area will be asked to supervise and share information.
Special response teams have also been formed to handle rain-related emergencies quickly.
He said discussions have already been held with forest officials to deal with tree-fall risks during monsoon. Under the direction of the new RFO, branches and weak limbs of trees in vulnerable areas will be removed before the rains.
MESCOM has deployed seven personnel within city limits to ensure proper functioning of streetlights and transformers. All related preparedness reports are expected by May 20.
Desilting work will also be taken up in flood-prone areas such as Jyothi and Pumpwell.
At Pumpwell, water from five directions is creating flooding problems. Measures are being taken to block flow from three sides. Plans are also in place to raise the service road bridge by one metre and widen the canal near the mosque.
The bridge opposite TMA Pai institution area will also be raised, with work to be taken up after the monsoon.
MCC Commissioner Ravichandra Naik and senior officials from various departments were present.
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Karnataka Cabinet approves internal reservation within SC quota
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has taken a key decision on internal reservation for Scheduled Castes during a special Cabinet meeting held in Bengaluru.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced at Vidhana Soudha, along with Cabinet colleagues, that the government has decided to distribute the existing 15 per cent reservation available for Scheduled Castes among different groups.
According to the decision, 5.25 per cent reservation has been allocated to the Dalit Left-Hand community, 5.25 per cent to the Right-Hand community, and 4.5 per cent to other groups within the Scheduled Castes category.
The issue of internal reservation had remained sensitive due to differences between Left-Hand and Right-Hand Scheduled Caste communities.
An earlier Cabinet meeting had been called to discuss the matter, but it was postponed in view of the by-elections in Davanagere and Bagalkot constituencies.
The Cabinet has now taken a final decision on the issue.
