IN CONTENTION: Residents of Dharwad arguing with Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation commissioner P. Manivannan at a meeting on Sunday.

DHARWAD: The consultation meeting with the residents of Dharwad regarding the 24x7 Water Supply Project, convened by Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) here on Sunday, was put off following opposition from the residents.

The residents complained that they were not being properly informed about the project, including the water tariff fixing mechanism.

The 24x7 Water Supply Project, is being implemented as a pilot project in four wards each in Hubli and Dharwad by the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation.

The project is also being implemented in Belgaum and Gulbarga. The pilot project, which was to become functional in the twin cities by November, had been delayed due to opposition from a section of residents.

The Sunday's meeting, at Nandikol Basaveshwara Temple in Mangalwarpet, was organised to clarify the doubts raised by the residents.

However, the residents did not allow the Municipal Commissioner P. Manivannan to clarify their doubts.

The residents, led by members of "Neeru Khasagikarana Virodhi Samiti" (Anti Water Privatisation Committee) said that the water supply system was being handed over to a foreign company.

This would result in people struggling for water everyday, they added. They said that once the water supply system was handed over to the foreign company for maintenance, the HDMC would lose control over fixing the tariff. They urged Mr. Manivannan to stop the project.

No privatisation

Mr. Manivannan informed the residents that there was no move to privatise the water supply system. He said the foreign company Companie Generale Desaux would only do the maintenance work and the Corporation would have the final say in fixing the tariff. He said that the company would handover the maintenance work to the corporation after two years. The State Government had set up a committee for fixing water tariff, he added.

Despite the assurances, the samiti members and the residents forced Mr. Manivannan to put off the meeting.

Another meeting will be held on December 3 at Kalabhavan in Dharwad.

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