Udupi: Local Congressmen of Hirebettu Village Protest over Water Woes in Hirebettu Village

By Snehalatha, Udupi
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 19 Mar 2013: The local Congressmen staged a protest against the irregularities in supplying drinking water to over 100 households in Hirebettu village near here by Atrady gram panchyat here on Monday March 18.
 
 
Addressing the protesters Atrady gram panchayat former president Suresh Naik said that 52 households in Nava Gram colony and 50 households in Vishveshwar Nagar in Hirebettu village are facing the scarcity of drinking water since the past 10 years.  Despite the pipes were laid and water taps were installed in each household, so far no water has been supplied because the open well from it has to be sourced has no water in it.  The tender was called to supply drinking water at a cost of Rs 20 lac about 2 years ago, but the works have not been carried out, alleged Suresh.

 

 

‘We don’t get water in summer, despite this, we are forced to pay water charges of Rs 60 per month,’ said Sudhakar Naik, the local resident to media persons.

 
 
Kodibettu gram panchayat former president Laxminarayan Prabhu expressed health concern on consuming impure water accumulated in ponds of a rivulet.

 
 
The youth Congress leader Amrut Shenoy alleged that in spite of union government is advancing funds for water and other basic amenities, the state government has not been utilizing it properly, alleged Amarut Shenoy.

 
 
The protesters presented a memorandum of their water woes to Atrady gram panchyat president Kusuma Poojary.

 
 
Kaup north block Congress president Sudhir Hegde, the local Congressmen Sudhir Kumar, Sudhakar Papuje and colony residents were present at the occasion.

 
 
Meanwhile, ZP newly-elected president Upendra Nayak who arrived at the spot, offered assurances of supplying drinking water to 5 villages including Atrady, at a cost of Rs 10 crore under multi-villages drinking water programme by 2014.  Even though, a overhead tank is constructed in Navagrama Colony, the water cannot be sourced from the dry well which would be deepened to accumulate water for regular supply.