Umesh Marpalli

Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (EP)

Udupi, Apr 26: While the state is facing acute shortage of water, people in Udupi district are in a lot of trouble and are already reeling under severe drinking water scarcity. Water may dry up even in dams in another ten days. Meanwhile, residents are unable to use water from some of their private wells as sewage water from drains have started seeping into them due to shoddy work. Therefore, residents are unable to use the water.

Residents unable to use well water

One of the well affected is near Adarsh hospital, near KSRTC bus stand in Bannanje ward. While drainage work is in progress in one of the places, the sewage water directly enters the well. That is not the only place affected as water in several wells is contaminated. While the water from the city corporation is released irregularly, people are unable to make use of well water too.

The drains which were in poor form even before huge apartments came up, have remained in the same condition even now. Roads are constructed on drainage pits without setting them right. As the quality of drainage pipes remain the same, the pipes break. When the waste from apartments and hospitals increases, the sewage water flows on the roads. As the drain water flows in places where clean water flows, the residents are facing acute shortage of drinking water.

Municipal council's shoddy work

Locals blame CMC Commissioner Manjunathayya for the current scenario. Manjunathayya was earlier a teacher. He does not know how many drainage pits are there in the corporation limits and how are they connected. Social activist Nithyananda Olakadu has even alleged about corruption in the administration by officials.

The shoddy work of Baje and Shiroor dams is not rectified. The problem is caused due to commissioner Manjunathayya and Meenakshi Madhava Bannanje, president of Udupi city municipal council who pose that they are helpless.

There are thousands of wells in the corporation limits. If the quality of drainage pipes passing near them is improved, and the water in the well is purified, the problem of scarcity of drinking water can be solved to some extent. If the dams are cleaned from time to time to increase their capacity and the wells and lakes are cleaned to make them useful, there will be sufficient water in the district.

District in-charge minister Pramod Madhwaraj has been providing water to houses through free water tankers.

On the whole, people of Udupi are likely to face dangerous situation if it does not rain as the water in the dam may last for another five days. The district in-charge minister will have to keep a close watch on the work by the municipal council.