The Udupi Zilla Panchayat (ZP) on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution urging the State government to appoint an agency to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the implementation of Paschimavahini Project in the district.
Raising the issue, Pratapchandra Shetty, MLC, said that though Udupi district had many West flowing rivers. The water was going waste to the sea. As many as 64 out of a total of 146 Gram Panchayats suffered from water shortage during the summer. The solution lay in constructing vented dams under the Paschimavahini Project and to providing round-the-year water to all Gram Panchayats. An estimate could be drawn up by the Department.
The Rural Water Supply Department could also take up small drinking water projects for villages lying by the side of rivers. The water from these rivers could be lifted and supplied to overhead tanks in these villages to solve the drinking water problem, he said.
Satyanarayana, Executive Engineer, Rural Water Supply Department, said that his Department had prepared an action plan to construct such small drinking water projects in five villages on an experimental basis.
Intervening, R. Vishal, Deputy Commissioner, said that instead of the Rural Water Supply Department conducting a line estimate for the vented dams under Paschimavahini Project, it would be better if a tender was called by State government at the national level for doing a DPR. The preparation of the DPR was likely to cost about Rs. 3 crore, he said.
Ananth Movady, member, said that the Water Supply Department was partial in paying the dues of contractors. The dues of contractors of Udupi and Karkala taluks had been cleared but not that of Kundapur taluk, he said.
Mr. Satyanarayana explained that the Department had cleared the bills of all three taluks to the tune of Rs. 11 crore, but the banks had been slow in clearing it. Bills of Rs. 9 crore were pending, he said. Mr. Shetty and Mr. Movady alleged that there was corruption in the clearance of the bills and demanded an inquiry.
