Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Aug 22: Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner, A B Ibrahim, issued strict instructions to officials of both revenue department and city corporation, to initiate penal action against those who have encroached upon city corporation's water supply pipeline by filling sand.
He was speaking after presiding over a meeting of city corporation and revenue officials held at his office on Friday about the encroachment of the area of pipeline and filling sand therein without authorization, and thus causing problems for the concerned.
'Within three days, notices have to be served on those who encroached upon the water pipeline between Thumbe and Padil by the side of national highway by filling sand. They should be asked to file replies within seven days. if the owners of land adjacent to the pipeline do not respond or fail to satisfactorily explain their positions, the land conversion orders issued to them should be revoked, and criminal cases should be filed against them,' he directed.
'During verification, it has been observed that when applying for land conversion, the owners of these lands had not filed no objection letters from the city corporation and national highways authority of India. It is also found that wrong information was furnished in several cases,' he stated.
He asked the officials to directly register criminal cases against those who have illegally filled sand on the pipeline without resorting to land conversion till now, and to complete all related processes by September 10.
City corporation council standing committee chairman, Deepak Poojary, drew the attention of the deputy commissioner that many have established illegal water connection from the new 18 mgd pipeline laid under ADB project and that this has been cutting down water supply to the city. The DC asked city corporation officials to sever all illegal connections drawn from the new pipeline immediately.
Additional DC, N Kumar, city mayor, Jacinta Vijaya Alfred, chief whip, Shashidhar Hegde, acting commissioner, Gokuldas Nayak, city division assistant commissioner, Dr Ashok, and others were present.