The Hindu

• MCC cut off the water supply to shift the pipeline 
• Residents protest in front of Kulai pumping station
• NHAI had asked MCC to shift the pipeline three months ago

Mangalore, Feb 3: Nearly 600 families in Hosabettu (East and West), Kulai and Surathkal, including Maruthinagar Layout of the Mangalore Urban Development Authority, have gone without drinking water for the past 15 days.

The delay in shifting water pipeline by the water supply division of Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) has made the citizens clamour for water.

Over 100 residents held a protest meet in front of Kulai water pumping station on Friday. The corporation had given the deadline of Friday to rectify the problem.

The corporation cut off the water supply on January 18 to shift the pipeline to facilitate the four-laning work on national highway between Mukka and B.C. Road. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had requested the corporation about three months ago to shift the pipeline so that the four-laning work could be completed within the stipulated time.

People using the highway had complained to the NHAI and to the MCC about the hardships they were facing because of the delay in completion of the four-laning project. Then the corporation decided to shift the pipeline, and disconnected the water supply to the areas. The engineers of the MCC said that the move was necessary.

The corporation officials said that they had connected the main supply line to the sub-lines. However, they were not sure about the sub-lines getting charged by the main supply line.

Madhav Kotian, a resident of New Mangalore Port Employees' Cooperative Colony at Hosabettu told The Hindu that the corporation authorities had no idea of what might have gone wrong after shifting the pipes.