Mangalore : Prof S G Mayya, Professor of department of Applied Mechanics and Hydraulics at NITK, Surathkal said that Malavoor rural water supply scheme is an example of a good project turning to be delayed project due to political rivalry and administrative apathy.

He was speaking on the Malavoor rural water supply scheme/ project, organized by the Institution of Engineers Mangalore local centre, Institution of Valuers Mangalore branch and Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Engineers Association on September 23, Tuesday.

Sharing his experience Prof Mayya said that he was working as a water resource engineer of the NITK team, when the project was conceived in 2003. But due to critical political system, the project was designed to be completed by 2005, face brickbats and remained uncompleted till date which was.

Speaking on the scheme he said that, the Malavoor rural water supply scheme was designed to supply drinking water to 11 villages in and around Bajpe after constructing a vented dam across Gurupur river at Malavoor under RajivGandhi National Drinking Water Mission (RGNDWM) implemented in 2003 at the estimated cost of 14.55 crore including construction of the dam and water treatment plant.

The scheme was designed with a innovative manner in which 90 per cent of the project cost would be borne by the Centre and the rest through community participation, he said.

Unfortunately even after 11 years, the project remains pending only with the construction of dam at a cost of Rs 20 crore in 2013 and an additional of Rs 24.5 crore sanctioned for the construction of water treatment plant and water distribution network.

The scheme was the dream project of former Surathkal MLA Vijaykumar Shetty and he had to face opposition from leader’s rival political parties belonging to his own party.

Apart from it he had to face the trivial queries raised by the officials of Panchayat Raj Engineering division and Irrigation department regarding the intrusion of salt water. But the National Institute of Technology-Karnataka team had made it clear that there will not be such possibility for it.

At present, tender process for the pending works are in the final stage and will take two more years for the project to materialize. It must be recalled that, the amount of Rs 92 lakh was collected from the beneficiary villages, including a amount of Rs 50 lakh from Mangalore City Corporation in 2003.