Mangaluru: Many places across the city have been facing disruption in water supply since a few weeks, corporators, cutting across party lines, charged during the Mangaluru City Corporation’s (MCC) monthly meeting held on Tuesday.

The corporators alleged that Boloor, Kodialbail, Ashoknagara, Mannagudda, Kudroli, Surathkal, Mukka, Katipalla, Krishnapura and other wards had been facing an acute shortage of water. Many remote areas were receiving water once in three to four days, they added.

Congress corporator Abdul Rauf said though 160 MLD water is pumped daily from the Thumbe Vented Dam, about 40 to 50 MLD water does not reach the city.

New pipelines are being laid under Jalasiri scheme envisioned to supply 24 X 7 water supply to all wards. No steps had been taken to increase the sources of water, he added.

Former mayor Shashidhar Hegde added the need to check leakage of water and strengthen the distribution lines.

The restoration of water supply in some wards from Car Street to Boloor takes three days if pumping is shut down for a day in Thumbe. Corporator A C Vinayaraj said steps should be taken to impound water at a height of 7 meters in Thumbe Vented Dam.

The 2.5 MGD pipeline passing through villages should be handed over to the Zilla Panchayat, he said.

Chief Whip in Council Premananda Shetty accused the opposition corporators of politicising the issue over water and urged Mayor Jayanand Anchan to convene a meeting to sort out the issues.

MCC Commissioner Akshy Sridhar, responding to the disruption in supply of water, said there was leakage at one of the mainlines at Kottara Chowki a week ago.

A water pilferage from the main pipeline, with the help of illegal connections, was discovered at Pudu, Farangipete and Kannur.  Once the dedicated line is entrusted to the ZP, the pilferage of water will stop, he said.

Drilling by GAIL during the laying of gas pipeline had damaged a pipeline at many locations, resulting in the disruption in supply.

A drone survey was conducted for increasing the storage level up to 7 metres height at the Thumbe Dam. There were objections raised from farmers whose land would be submerged if the height of dam was increased.

“In case of necessity during peak summer, we will look into the possibility of impounding water at a height of 7 metres for three to four months by paying compensation for the period,” he added.

BJP corporator Sudheer Kannur said that illegal connections had been removed at 58 locations and the drive is in progress.