Water scarcity: DC orders suspension of constructions for 15 days in Mangaluru

Mangaluru May 11: The Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim has directed the Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner Dr H N Gopalakrishna to issue an order to suspend the construction activities on a multi-storey building for 15 days. The town planning section of the MCC should ensure that the order is implemented effectively, he added.

The deputy commissioner also instructed the Corporation to identify open wells and borewells on campuses of educational institutions and submit a requisition letter to use the water.

“The officials should identify one borewell and open well in each ward, to supply water to the ward residents. The list of open wells and borewells should be submitted to the district administration by Thursday evening. The water from the borewell of under-construction apartments could be used for supplying water to the citizens,” said the official order.

Corporation Deputy Commissioner (Development) N Shivashankar Swami said that 90 open wells have been identified in the Corporation limits, of which 41 wells have been cleaned. “Out of 29 new borewell points, 17 borewells have been dug and pumps have been installed to eight borewells to supply water. The process to install pumps to eight borewells is in progress,” he informed.

The Corporation can also appeal to the public to register the sources of water in their vicinity for public use.

The deputy commissioner said that if any private water tanker suppliers charge exorbitant fees for supplying water, then strict action will be initiated against such suppliers. “The Corporation will confiscate the vehicle as well as the water source from where they lift water to supply. Groundwater is the resource of the state,” he warned.