Water Problem: Dist admin overrides public requirements, go brazenly ‘commercial’

Puttur: In contrast to priorities, the district administration has taken the side of commercial interests against socio-educational issues.

In stark contrast, the district administration of Dakshina Kannada went berserk in fixing the pump to a new borewell to supply water to the swimming pool inside the Dr. Shivarama Karanth Balavana in Puttur town. This despite appeals after appeals to fix the same pump for supplying water to the visitors to the Balavana, where the hallowed legacy of the Jnanapith award winner late Dr. Kota Shivarama Karanth has been preserved.

Elders in the town went beet red on Friday when they learned that it was not the drinking water facility for the visitors that the pump was being fixed but the promoters of the swimming pool had appealed to the district administration to fix it as the pool was not able to hold swimming classes to the enthusiasts in Puttur town.

The elders told this correspondent that the borewell had been sunk in the facility over six months ago, and despite multiple appeals to the district administration, the work was not done and soon the facility faced closure due to drinking water scarcity there.

Summer is already scorching and the Balavana was expecting a steady flow of students during the summer vacation.

“Anticipating this, we had petitioned the local authorities many times, citing the reason why the pump had to be fixed quickly, but all those reasons went unheeded when the swimming pool managers sent a letter saying that the swimmers were suffering, Immediately, the district authorities have fixed the problem, is this not a case of misplaced priorities?” Dr. Amrut Malla, a keen follower of the late Dr. Shivarama Karanth, told Hans India. When contacted for their comments, the authorities wore a dignified silence.