Mangaluru: Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada district Dinesh Gundu Rao has asked the authorities concerned to make preparations to deal with possible drinking water problems for the people of the district this summer.

Addressing a meeting with officers in the district at the Deputy Commissioner's office in Mangaluru on Saturday to discuss water supply during summer, the minister said, "Dakshina Kannada is currently facing no drinking water shortage. But we should empower ourselves to effectively handle any water-related problem in future, in addition to the precautionary measures that are in place to prevent water problems in the district."

Referring to the sources of water for Dakshina Kannada, Dinesh Gundu Rao said that the level of water in the minor dams across the district being satisfactory was heartening, given that summer was round the corner. Reminding the officers that drinking water is to be given priority, when it comes to water supply, he stressed that the administration could not afford to be laidback if the people struggled for drinking water supply but would have to take immediate action to solve the problem.

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The minister added, "If necessary, we will draw water from the AMR Dam across River Nethravathi. The major industrial projects of the district like Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) and Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ) should also cooperate with the people of the district, if a major water shortage."

Dinesh Gundu Rao said that Dakshina Kannada had been allocated Rs 3 crore under the drought relief fund. "The state government will provide additional funds if necessary," the minister assured at the meeting.

Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. K Anand, Additional Deputy Commissioner Santhosh Kumar and Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner Anand were among the officers who attended the meeting.

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Bengaluru, Apr 3 (PTI): A family in Jigani on the outskirts of Bengaluru had a close encounter with a leopard that wandered into their home on Thursday morning. Acting swiftly, they locked the big cat inside and escaped unhurt, a forest official confirmed.

The incident occurred at Pilla Reddy Layout, where Venkatesh, his wife Venkatalakshmi, and their son Nikhil reside in a rented house.

Jigani, located near the forested Bannerghatta National Park, frequently sees wildlife movement, including leopards and elephants, the forest official added.

As the family prepared for the day, they were startled to find the leopard inside their home.

Overcoming their initial panic, they managed to rush out and secure the door from the outside.

Venkatesh then alerted neighbours and informed the police and forest department.

A forest team promptly arrived, tranquilised the animal, and safely caged it.

Meanwhile, a large crowd gathered to witness the rescue operation.

Police were deployed to maintain order and prevent any untoward incidents.

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