Udupi: As peak summer was approaching, the drinking water works should be given top priority in the district, said Dr Jayamala, District in-charge minister, Minister for Women and Child Development.
Addressing media persons after tri-monthly Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) meeting at Rajathadri, here on Wednesday, March 6, Dr Jayamala said that district-level task force and taluk-level task forces on drinking water have been directed to meet regularly and deal with problem of water scarcity in the district.
She said that already 19 vented dams had been constructed by the Minor Irrigation Department in different parts of the district. Only the construction of eight vented dams was pending. The leakage in the vented dam at Kaduhole would be plugged. She would take up the issue of farmers living in the backwaters of Baje Dam of Swarna river, demanding water for their crops with the DC. Officers had been told to give power connection to the pump sets under the Ganga Kalyana Scheme and take up construction of open wells under the scheme.
Dr. Jayamala said that tenders had been called for removal of excess sand from 23 sand blocks in the non-Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas in the district, while excess sand removed from seven sand blocks was being used for government projects. Excess sand would also be removed from eight sand bars in the CRZ areas. People would be informed about the availability of sand and the price.
Fifty acres of land would be provided for the Koti Chennaya Theme Park in Karkala. A children’s book park, a food court, light and sound show, and a toy train would also be introduced at the park, she said.
A proposal for setting up 28 more anganwadi centres in the district had been submitted. Relief of Rs 8.7 crore had been provided to 6,253 arecanut growers whose arecanut crop had been attacked by diseases.
Hephsiba Rani Korlapati, Deputy Commissioner, Sindhu B Rupesh, CEO of the Udupi Zilla Panchayat, Nisha James Superintendent of Police were present.
