The Hindu – Karnataka 19.08.2009
MCC’s decision to supply water to UPCL opposed
Staff Correspondent
| Agreement may soon be signed |
Civic body is contemplating on drawing additional water from Lakhya dam in Kudremukh
Samiti says water supply woes of people will worsen with the implementation of pact
MANGALORE: The Nagarjuna Virodhi Horata Samiti has opposed the proposal of the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) to supply drinking water from the Thumbe vented dam to Udupi Power Corporation Ltd (UPCL), which was formerly called Nagarjuna Power Corporation Ltd).
The MCC, during its council meeting on July 31, had resolved to issue an assurance letter to the UPCL that it would be ready to supply 100 cubic metres of water an hour to the coal storing yard of the company at the New Mangalore Port by 2011.
The resolution was passed keeping in mind the additional quantity of water that would become available to the city from the Lakhya dam in Kudremukh, and the new vented dam at Thumbay after two years.
Liability
Vijay Kumar Hegde, president of the samiti, told presspersons here on Tuesday that as per the terms of the proposed agreement between the two parties, civic body would be liable to compensate the UPCL if the former failed to supply the water. Pointing to the drinking water problems of the city Mr. Hegde said that the diversion of drinking water to the storage yard would be unfair to the people of Mangalore. .
Purpose
The UPCL required the water to keep the stored coal cool so that it did not catch fire.
“But, what if there is some accident and the coal catches fire? We will all be destroyed,” he said.
The water once used to soak the coal could not be re-used and it would have to be discharged into the sea. “These effluents will destroy our marine life and fishing,” he said.
The MCC was ethically bound to do a background check on the storage facility. “The UPCL does not have clearance from the Fire and Safety Department. It does not have the land required for building the storage facility. The company has a bad track record too,” he said.
It was incumbent on the Mayor and the district in-charge Minister to constitute a fact-finding committee and get the quantum of damage that might be caused by the storage unit assessed, he said.
Allegation
Shashidhar Hegde, Opposition (Congress) member in the council, said that the agenda was passed in a hurried manner by the ruling BJP.
“Our opposition to the water supply plan was not registered by the Mayor,” he alleged.
