Mangaluru: Mangaluru South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath has alleged that the Congress leaders had not taken any measures to address the problems of drinking water when they were in power. This, he claimed, was responsible for the rationing of water now.
Addressing the reporters at the District Bharatiya Janata Party office on Monday, April 29, Kamath said, “The decision to increase the height of Thumbe vented dam was taken when BJP government was in power. Though the new vented dam can store about 7 metres of water now, some land would be submerged. Hence, we are forced to store only 6 metres of water now. However, the previous Congress government and the existing coalition government did not take any measures to earmark compensation for the farmers who lose their land. Hence, the ruling coalition government and leaders of Congress party are responsible for the water problems in the city.”
‘Deploy third party inspection agency’
Kamath also pointed out the loopholes in implementing the drinking water projects undertaken during the first phase of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded scheme. He said, “A total of Rs 160 Crore was spent on the first phase of the ADB scheme to provide water to the people, round the clock. However, receiving water round the clock has not been possible till date. A total of Rs 461 Crore has been released for the second phase of the scheme. To ensure proper implementation of the ADB funded scheme, a third party inspection agency should be deployed.”
Kamath alleged that the Congress corporators and leaders were working only when they were in power and refused to give service to the people. “When people approach Congress corporators and leaders asking them to set right the drinking water problems, they don’t even call the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) engineers and try to solve the problems. I want to know whether power is necessary to even call the engineers of MCC?”, he said.
Meanwhile, Kamath opined that water rationing is needed in the present circumstances and people should not waste water.
BJP leaders Ravishankar Mijar, Nithin Kumar, Premananda Shetty, Ramesh among others were present.
