The State government has approved Rs. 280 crore for the Mangalore City Corporation to supply round-the-clock drinking water and replacing network of underground drainage pipelines which are about 40-year-old, according to Mayor Mahabala Marla.
At a meet the press programme at Patrika Bhavan here on Tuesday, the Mayor said that the city corporation received a communication to this effect a week ago.
The projects have been sanctioned under Karnataka Integrated Urban Water Management Investment Project (KIUWMIP). The funds would be drawn as loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Rs. 160 crore had been allocated for the 24x7 water supply and to supply to those areas which do not have piped water supply. He said that the balance Rs. 120 crore had been allocated for replacing old network of sewer lines and repairs, he said.
Mr. Marla said that the Corporation would take steps to install digital water meters for water supply pipelines to industries, apartments and commercial complexes. It was to prevent tampering of meters and augment more revenue.
The Mayor said that six circles in the city would be made traffic-friendly by creating necessary facilities there. The circles were Kankanady, Ambedkar, Mallikatta, Bunts Hostel, PVS and Navbharat Circle. He said that the circles would be reconstructed scientifically to ease traffic congestion.
Mr. Marla said that the asphalt road from St. Agnes College Circle to Manjunatha temple, Kadri would be relaid as a four-lane concrete road at an estimated cost of six crore rupees. The Mallikatta Circle would be reconstructed as part of this project.
The Mayor said that earlier the corporation had asked Mangalore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) to construct a multi-level parking facility at old Hampankatta bus stand. As the MUDA could not realise the project now the Corporation would do it.
He said that a development committee headed by him would be formed to discuss important infrastructure projects and finalise them.
A green committee would be formed to take decisions pertaining to greenery projects and developing gardens in the city.
He said that a proposal in connection with constructing a bus stand at Pumpwell would be placed in the next meeting of the council to take an appropriate decision.
To a question regarding whether ward committees would be formed in the city he said that a decision to this effect would be taken in the council.
Water adalats from next month
Mayor Mahabala Marla said on Tuesday that he will resume conducting water adalats either from the first week or second week of June.
In a meet the press programme at Patrika Bhavan he said that his first priority is to computerise all sections of the corporation and provide time-bound service to the people. Computerisation works would be over in the next ten months, he said.
