Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SHS)
Mangalore, Jun 10: If all goes well, the multi-village drinking water scheme, which is in the intial stages of planning, could be realized in 20 recognized clusters of villages in a span of two years. The tender process to carry out the project has been just initiated, and in the preliminary stage it will include villages from Bantwal and Mangalore taluks.
The plan was laid out by zilla panchayat to chalk out a permanent solution for the drinking water problems faced by villagers during the blistering summer. Many villages in the district encounter acute shortage of drinking water from the month of February to May.
The implementation of the scheme would cost Rs 89.85 crore to the state and central exchequers. The plan was chalked out considering the depletion of ground water level due to rigging of many borewells and tubewells across the district. The scheme would utilize the surface water from the lifeline of DK Netravati river. The water will be drawn through the pipe lines that will be channeled to the villages. This according to the zilla panchayat president and members would reduce the rigging of borewells (under many schemes) in the district.
Under the project, funds for villages of Bantwal taluk, Mani along with other villages (Rs 23 crore), Sanghabettu including 16 villages (Rs 20 crore), Korappadi and 4 villages (Rs 27.35 crore) have been sanctioned. Malavoor and other villages (Rs 19.50 crore) from Mangalore taluk have been included in the current project (clusters four). Tenders for these four works have been called. The zilla panchayat is waiting for the sanction of funds for 16 more clusters of villages, which in the current tender were left out.
The ZP also plans to set up a solid waste management unit at Bellare, for which Rs 20 lac has been allotted and search for the land is on. The ZP aims to make the district clean and healthy, though a plastic-free district, according to the ZP, is not so easy to achieve.
Plastic management unit
According to zilla panchayat president Asha Gowda, a private body has approached the ZP to set up a plastic waste management unit at Bellare.
The private firm has requested for the allotment of 1.60 acres of land to establish a unit. "The plastic waste, as said by the firm, could be utilized in the constriction of road," said Asha Gowda in a press meet held on June 9 at the ZP office. "The ZP will facilitate the proposals put forth if the plan is feasible," she added.
She futher said, "The ZP is mulling a new programme, 'Grama Snehi Karyakrama (Village-friendly programme). The village panchayats coming under the ambit of ZP members will deal with the plan. This would help in reviewing and resolving the problems faced by 203 village panchayats lying across the district. AS many as 28 top level officials of taluk panchayats would act as nodal officers for the same," she added.