Udupi tahsildar V. Prasanna said on Friday that water from the treatment plant of Manipal University at Dashrath Nagar had overflowed and polluted 30 wells and about four acres of paddy in the Arabhi area of Yembathu Badagabettu village on Thursday night.
Mr. Prasanna said that waste water from the hostels of the university was treated at the Yembathu Badagabettu facility. But on the night of September 23, water had flowed with such force that a 10-m-long brick wall of the plant was damaged. Later, the water entered the village and polluted 30 wells and about four acres of paddy fields, he said.
Action
The district administration had decided to chlorinate the polluted wells thrice to clean them. After completing this process, the water samples from these wells would be sent to the laboratory for testing.
Assurance
An official of the university had assured the district authorities of paying some compensation to the affected people.
The taluk office was collecting the details for preparing an estimate of the damage, Mr. Prasanna said.
MP D.V. Sadananda Gowda, MLA Lalaji Mendon and Deputy Commissioner P. Hemalatha visited the spot and inspected the affected area.
G.K. Prabhu, Registrar of Manipal University, told The Hindu that the district authorities had been asked to provide an estimate of the damage caused. Once it reached the university, steps would be taken to provide compensation to affected people.
Adequate precautions had been taken to ensure that such incidents did not recur.
The university had set up an inquiry committee to study the reasons, Mr. Prabhu said.
