Work on dam across Gurupura river continues without clearance

March 27, 2011

Mangalore, March 27: Work on a vented dam across the Gurupura river near Malavoor continues though the Karnataka State Coastal Zone Management Authority is yet to clear the project. “We are hopeful of getting clearance as this dam is meant to fulfil the drinking water needs of the surrounding villages,” S.L. Satyanarayana, Executive Engineer, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat's Engineering Division, said on Saturday. “We are submitting the documents sought by the authority,” he added.

Mr. Satyanarayana was addressing presspersons during the visit of Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, to review the progress of the work on the dam. Work is going on near the Malavoor bridge.

Mr. Satyanarayana said while formulating the project, it was perceived that the coastal regulatory zone covered 500 metres from the high tide line. Following a notice issued early this month, the authorities came to know that the land along the river joining the sea was also covered under the CRZ. “We were told that the CRZ includes 500 metres from the point salt water is found,” he said.

The Coastal Regulation Zone Notification issued in January mentions that development activities on the tidal influenced water bodies such as bays, estuaries, rivers and creeks could be regulated till the distance where the tidal effects are felt. It prevents activities that disturb the natural course of the seawater, except activities such as laying structures for prevention of salinity ingress and freshwater recharge based on or carried out by any agency to be specified by Ministry of Environment and Forests.

He said the 203-metre dam was being built to meet the drinking water needs of 17 villages, including Bajpe and Moodshedde. Work on it was supposed to start in 2003. But it commenced only in February following sanction of Rs. 28 crore. This project had been taken up under the Centre's scheme for sustainable water use.

Mr. Kateel said apart from meeting the drinking water requirement, the dam would help in recharging the water table in the region. “We hope to get clearance for the project from the authority soon,” he said.

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Voting underway in Karnataka bypolls: Family legacies and political heavyweights battle across 3 segments

News Network

November 13,2024

Bengaluru: An estimated overall 10.14 per cent voter turnout was recorded during the first two hours, since the voting began for bypolls to three Assembly segments in Karnataka on Wednesday, election officials said.

The voting began at 7 am and will go on till 6 pm.

More than seven lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes in about 770 polling stations in Shiggaon, Sandur and Channapatna, where a total of 45 candidates are in the fray.

While Channapatna recorded 10.34 per cent voter turnout till 9 am, it was 10.08 per cent in Shiggaon, and 9.99 per cent in Sandur, election officials said.

Voters, including women and elderly were seen queuing up in front of polling booths in these segments.

By-polls for Sandur, Shiggaon, and Channapatna are necessitated, as the seats fell vacant following the election of their respective representatives -- E Tukaram of Congress, former CM Basavaraj Bommai of BJP, and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S) -- to Lok Sabha in May elections.

As many as 31 candidates are in the fray from Channapatna, while Sandur and Shiggaon have six and eight contenders, respectively.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made in the three segments for the smooth conduct of the polls.

The by-polls will witness a straight fight between the ruling Congress and BJP in Sandur and Shiggaon segments, while in Channapatna, JD(S) which is part of the NDA alliance is in contest against the grand old party.

Among the three segments, Channapatna is considered to be a "high profile", where the contest is between C P Yogeeshwara, a five time MLA from the segment and former Minister, who joined the Congress quitting BJP ahead of nomination, and actor-turned -politician Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who is Kumaraswamy’s son and former PM H D Deve Gowda's grandson.

BJP's Bharath Bommai, son of Basavaraj Bommai, is fighting Congress Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan, who had faced defeat against the former Chief Minister in the 2023 Assembly polls, in Shiggaon.

Bharath Bommai and his father cast their vote at a polling booth in Shiggaon segment.

In Sandur, Bellary MP Tukaram's wife E Annapurna of Congress is contesting from the seat vacated by her husband, against, BJP ST Morcha president Bangaru Hanumanthu, who is considered close to party leader and former mining barron G Janardhan Reddy.

Annapurna, Tukaram and other family members cast their votes at a booth in the segment.

With Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Bharath Bommai contesting, the third generation of Gowda and Bommai families are in the fray in this by-poll. Both their fathers and grandfathers have served as Karnataka's Chief Ministers in the past.

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