Udupi-Chikmagalur Member of Parliament Kota Shrinivas Poojary has called upon the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to take immediate responsibility for repairing and reinstalling drinking water supply pipelines that were damaged due to the construction of a National Highway service road. The disruption has affected several gram panchayats within the Kundapur assembly constituency, causing significant public inconvenience.
Meeting Addresses Critical Infrastructure Issue
Presiding over a crucial meeting at the deputy commissioner's office on Thursday, MP Poojary highlighted the urgent need for intervention. The meeting, attended by key officials and local representatives, focused squarely on the problems arising from the installation and damage of drinking water pipelines in the region. MLAs Yashpal Suvarna and Kiran Kumar Kodgi, Deputy Commissioner Swaroopa TK, and Zilla Panchayat CEO Prateek Bayal were present for the discussions.
Widespread Impact of Highway Widening
The core of the issue lies in the ongoing NHAI projects aimed at widening the national highway traversing multiple gram panchayat areas. The affected regions include Koteshwara, Gopadi, Kumbhashi, Thekkatte, Saligrama, Kotathattu, Kota, Manuru, Pandeshwara, and Sasthana in Brahmavar. The heavy machinery and construction activities for the service road have directly damaged the existing public drinking water supply pipelines.
MP Poojary emphasized that the repair work must be prioritized by the NHAI. He warned of the possibility of further damage in the coming days as the widening work progresses. A major point of concern is the current location of the pipelines, which are situated in the middle of the road carriageway, making them vulnerable and unsuitable for the newly widened highway.
Demand for NHAI Funding and Relocation
The parliamentarian pointed out a critical financial hurdle. The local gram panchayats and the rural development department lack the necessary funds to undertake such large-scale repair and reinstallation work. Therefore, he insisted that the NHAI should fully undertake the cost and execution of these essential works.
Proposing a long-term solution, Poojary suggested that instead of repairing the old pipelines in the middle of the road, it would be more appropriate to install new pipelines along the remaining 2.5-meter space on the service road. This relocation would prevent future disruptions. He noted that the estimated cost for the repairs and new installation had increased, and he directed engineers from the rural drinking water and sanitation department to re-evaluate and submit a proper cost estimate.
Concluding the meeting, the MP directed that all decisions made under the leadership of the deputy commissioner be formally communicated to the divisional office of the NHAI for prompt action.
