Rejuvenated Gangana Palla inside Kadri Park set for inauguration on Monday

Stored to its maximum capacity, the Palla can cater to water requirements of the park for one month

Gangana Palla Tank inside Kadri Park has been rejuvenated at a cost of Rs. 40 lakh. | Photo Credit: H.S. MANJUNATH

The historic Gangana Palla Tank inside Kadri Park that has got a new look after the Mangalore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) undertook its rejuvenation work will be inaugurated on Monday.

Spread on about an acre within the 18-acre Kadri Park, the Palla was desilted up to a depth of about 10 m while the vegetation was cleared by MUDA. “The tank base is covered with hard laterite clay that is used to produce tiles to facilitate limited percolation of water to the ground as well as to allow water inside the tank from springs, if any,” said MUDA Chairman Ravishankar Mijar.

Kadri Park, Mr. Mijar said, had not been in good shape due to a lack of water for the plants as the park did not have a proper water storage facility. It requires about one lakh litres of water daily while the rejuvenated Gangana Palla could hold up to 32 lakh litres that would be enough for a month.

There was a water source in the Palla about five decades ago when the tank was spread over a larger area. Now, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) would supply untreated water from an open well in its Bendorewell Pumping Station to Gangana Palla, Mr. Mijar said.

A large fountain, costing about Rs. 17 lakh, is in the final stages of construction in the middle of Kadri Park. | Photo Credit: H.S. MANJUNATH

Large fountain

Mr. Mijar said MUDA had also undertaken construction of a large fountain in the middle of the park to complement the development works undertaken by Mangaluru Smart City Ltd., outside. The fountain with a novel technology was being built at a cost of ₹17 lakh by the authority.

It requires about 1.2 lakh litres of water to remain operative and there would not be much wastage as the water gets recirculated. The fountain would be operational during evening hours with colourful lights, he added.

He said both the rejuvenation of Gangana Palla and construction of the new fountain were being completed in a record time of about two months. They would be inaugurated on Monday at 5.30 p.m. ahead of the Republic Day Flower Show, he said.