Mangaluru : It was the sand mafia which was most favoured by delaying “Fixing of wooden planks to store water in Thumbay vented dam by 2 months. This lead to serious water scarcity in the city and put people to hardship,” according to former state minister Krishna J Palemar who addressed a pres meet at district BJP office here on Thursday May 12.

” It is November and December that the water is usually stored in the dam, instead to favour the sand mining lobby, water storing process started during the month of January and February. District in-charge minister is known for favouring the sand mafia who are his supporters running the illegal sand mining. Because of this, the city is facing the water problem and never have coastal areas faced such water crisis like drought in the past.

Without testing and purifying, 2 MGD water from Lakya dam a decision has been taken by MCC pump water from Kudremukh, Palemar said which is likely to create water borne disease. Kudremukh Iron Ore Company had agreed to provide the water and also purification plant when BJP was in power. But Congress government were not serious in taking forward the process and keep safe level storage of water.

Blaming the state government for no development in the past three years. Government has involved in the hatred politics”.

Government has not been continuing programmes like Bhagya Lakshmi Yojana, Suvarna Bhoomi, Suvarana and Grama programmes, initiated by the BJP government.

Shanker Bhat said “Mayor should answer how much quantity of water is pumped and keep a track of musch also reaches the city. Illegal piple line cause 35% wastage of the pumped water from Thumbay vented dam because if illegal pipes connected to the main pipeline. There is a mafia behind this. Political representatives are silent because all this.”

Corporator, Roopa D Bangera, Kishore Rai and others were present.