MANGALORE: Mangalore may have to spend one more year in the fear of water shortage because of the confusion over the construction of the second vented dam across the Netravati.

Much water has flowed down the river course even as the civic leaders, Ministers and people's representatives just talked away the summer. They are now saying that the monsoon will arrive soon and it is no time to take up construction of a dam.

The proposal for the second dam was made in 2001 when Shashidhar Hegde was the Mayor. The initial cost was put at Rs. 20 crore. The issue was raised now and then but a decision was taken only in 2004-05 when Purandaradas Kulur was the Mayor.

The 60-member council stood as one on the issue and Mr. Kulur also made a budgetary provision of Rs. 20 crore. The council also approved the dam.

Mayor K. Ashraf followed it up, and with the change of guard in the State things started moving fast. The Mangalore City Corporation also got a survey done for the new dam. The survey report has been submitted the Government for administrative, financial and technical clearances, and according to the district in-charge Minister B. Nagaraj Shetty, the papers are with principal secretary, Urban Development Department.

Meanwhile, the Mangalore City Corporation Council, through the Mayor, appealed to corporates in the city and others for raising Rs. 10 crore towards its share. The State Government has promised to pay Rs. 30 crore.

However, the Mangalore City Corporation suffered a blow when the Urban Development Ministry sought written proof of the Deputy Chief Minister's assurance to give Rs. 30 crore for the project.

According to officials, it will take at least six months for work to start after the money is sanctioned. This means, if work starts in January 2007 it may be completed by May that year. The cost escalation in the next one year is also a worrying factor, according to engineers.

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