Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (MS)

Puttur, Oct 29: Negligence during the widening of a highway in Uppinangady resulted in damage to drinking water pipelines, causing locals to be without water for the past four days. Enraged residents blocked the highway widening work on Saturday in response to the situation.

The Panchayat instructed the officials of the contracting company responsible for the highway widening work to promptly repair the damaged pipelines that supply water from the purification plant to residents' homes. Although the contractor agreed to the request, no corrective action was taken. Consequently, Uppinangady town residents have had to endure a water shortage for four days.

Amidst this crisis, locals appealed to the Panchayat not to allow the contractor to proceed with the highway widening work until the damaged pipes were repaired. Panchayat vice president, Vidyalaxmi Prabhu, and member Abdul Rahiman, who were present at the scene, instructed the contractor to give priority to the repairs. Additionally, the issue was escalated to the attention of officials and the CEO of the Zilla Panchayat. Subsequently, the district administration directed the concerned road contractor to take the necessary actions. Officials from the KNR company, which holds the contract for road widening, assured both the public and Panchayat officials that the damaged pipes would be repaired by Sunday.