The State government is bound to give water to areas through which the two pipelines, between the Thumbe vented dam and Mangaluru, are passing, said District in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai.
Speaking at a function organised to mark filling up of 4.5 metres for water at the new Thumbe vented dam here on Tuesday, Mr. Rai said that residents of en-route areas are legally entitled to water from the new vented dam. Providing them water will prevent illegal tapping of water from the two pipelines, he said.
“Officials should know the law. They have to fulfil need of residents en-route,” he said and added a scheme should be framed to provide water for these areas. “Even my village Kallige needs water from Thumbe,” he said.
Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner Mohammed Nazeer said Rs. 10 crore was earmarked under the second tranche of loan from Asian Development Bank for providing treated water to areas en-route.
Mangaluru South MLA J.R. Lobo said the Mangaluru City Corporation has to bear huge cost for maintenance of the new dam constructed at a cost of Rs. 75 crore. The maintenance cost would come down if action was taken to prevent seepage of water.
