Ankudru Vented Dam: A Boon or a Bane

By Benedict Noronha, Advocate, Udupi
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 11 May 2011: As most of the people in Moodubelle and Padubelle are aware that during the last year the Government had allotted some funds and a Vented Dam (Kindi Anekattu) was built at Ankudru, Belle village across the river which flows from Karkala to Mattar, Kabyadi, Padubelle-Kurkal and there on to Udyavara and eventually merging with the Arabian Sea. This Vented Dam was hurriedly constructed and finished before the onset of the monsoon. Small  vehicles  could pass over the flat surface of the dam as I had an opportunity to pass through in last May- June, 2010 as it reduces the distance by  about 3 to 4 kms from Moodubelle to Pambur where my ancestral house is located.

 

As one can visualize that during rainy season this Vented dam cum bridge cannot be used for small vehicular traffic as it was built  on a low level.  Only after the rains subside, say from November or December it could be used to for small vehicular traffic. This dam-bridge is very useful for the people of Kabyadi, Pambur, Dindottu and other surrounding regions who can visit Moodubelle Church or market or to carry on their transactions in banks or get their work done in Belle panchayat office. The other accessible roads and bridges to Moodubelle from areas from Padubelle are via the Poydapadi bridge or the Matter bridge. This would increase the distance by about 3 to 4 kms.

 

Though the original idea was to have a normal bridge at Kabyadi where there was a ferry earlier, Vented Dam was planned at Ankudru  with a small budget  and could be built in 3 to 4 months time. \one cannot help but suspect that, this project was hurriedly conceived and hastily executed by the government in view of the local bodies elections.

 

 

In the case of the Ankudru vented dam cum bridge, even after the end of monsoon last year following the construction of the Vented Dam, the approach roads have not been completed and as such  no vehicle can use the bridge without proper approach roads. Beside in the paddy fields where road is laid,  the water flowing culverts also have not been done with pipes supplied for this purpose. Hence, neither the work is complete nor the Vented Dam has been used to store water.  It is merely a waste of a large amount of money.

 

The Public are of the view that after the Panchayath election results in  Febraury 2011,  the ruling party at the State has lost in this area and therefore the work remained where it was. Besides, people also point out that the work done in the south end of the Vented |Dam is of poor quality and the stone construction work has given way. Under this condition it would be dangerous to allow vehicles to pass through the bridge. There are also grievances that the approach road from Padubelle Post office through this Vented Dam is not broadened and asphalted as planned and promised. In a nut-shell, it may be said that the Ankudru Vented Dam has neither fulfilled its primary purpose of storing water for irrigation purpose nor making it convenient for smaller vehicles to pass through it and cut down the travelling time from Moodubelle to Pamboor and other regions in Padubelle.

 

While the earlier grama panchayat has not completed the work, the present grama panchayat is just clueless as to how to complete the work. People in general are led to suspect that the rivalry between the two political parties has resulted in the waste of  public money without any advantage to the villagers.

 

In spite of contacting the concerned engineers and sending a notice to them  by post, which has been returned,  the person is not receiving the phone calls also. When I contacted the Belle Panchayath Secretary, he said that the Ankudru Vented Dam was a Taluk and Zilla Panchayath project and tenders were called and work was allotted at that level and hence they have to supervise and get the work done. He further pointed out that the village Panchayat has no responsibility in regard to the Ankudru Vented Dam.

 

As a concerned persons, I am interested in the completion of the Ankudru Vented Dam and the work on the approach roads. This would greatly benefit the villagers and the huge amount of money is not scandalously wasted. Will the concerned authorities at least act now…?