The Hindu : Karnataka / Mysore News : Water crisis: Councillors pull up officials

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 21, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mysore

Water crisis: Councillors pull up officials

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, SEPT. 20. Officials of the Mysore City Corporation came under fire from councillors for their handling of water crisis in the city. The councillors, cutting across party lines, criticised the officials at a special meeting convened here on Monday to discuss the water problem plaguing the city, besides discussing the solid wastes management in Mysore.

Shivakumar, Leader of the Opposition, said that while water supply management was good during peak summer, the officials failed to keep it up when the water-level had reached the maximum level in Krishna Raja Sagar. He said: "The officials blamed it on power problem and disturbance in the network only to escape scrutiny by the elected representatives." He said the officials had failed to plan the distribution of water well. Alternative plans had not been kept ready in case of emergency at the pumping stations at Hongalli, Melapura, and Belagola.

Dues unpaid

Narayan, former Mayor, said the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) had defaulted on payment of dues to the corporation to the tune of several crores of rupees.

While the corporation had been supplying water in the areas developed by MUDA, the latter had not paid for the water supplied.

He said the corporation had been losing Rs. 2 crores because of this.

Although the corporation spent Rs. 3 crores on supplying water, it could collect only Rs. 1 crore from the public, he said. Mr. Narayan said several big industrial houses had turned defaulters on payment of water dues.

Besides this, he said that collection was not up to the mark.

Moodamani, former Mayor, alleged that the officials had failed to handle the gastroenteritis cases that were detected at Bogadhi recently by a non-governmental organisation.

Even as the council failed to arrive at any decision, the Mayor, Dakshinamurthy, said the corporation had sent a proposal of Rs. 3.3 crores to the State Government for approval.

Once approved, he said, the corporation would be in a position to replace the pumps at Belogala, Hongalli and Melapura pumping stations.

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