Mangaluru: Drinking water scarcity has emerged as a key concern in parts of Mangaluru taluk amid rising temperatures, with residents of several areas complaining of inadequate supply.Chairing the taluk KDP meeting Tuesday, MLA Y Bharath Shetty said residents of Gurupura, Ganjimath, Adyapady, Kandavar and Paduperar have raised complaints. An engineer from the water supply department said ongoing national highway work between Gurupura and Kaikamba has delayed the laying of utility lines, leaving the local gram panchayat unable to intervene effectively.The MLA said the issue has been brought to the notice of the Dakshina Kannada DC and that a separate meeting will be convened in the DC’s presence to resolve the matter.Wildlife movement reportedMangaluru range forest officer Rajesh Baligar said increased leopard movement has been reported, with animals straying into human habitations in search of food and water during summer. A leopard spotted in Kulshekar in March was captured and relocated to the forest.Leopards from the Todaru and Moodubidire forest areas frequently move into the region. Two wild bison spotted recently in Surathkal and Ullal were also relocated.Education, food safety concernsThe MLA congratulated officials on the good SSLC and PUC results, urging them to further improve teaching standards and to support students who did not pass, helping them prepare confidently for upcoming exams.Shetty directed food safety officials to inspect hotels and roadside eateries following complaints about the use of substandard cooking oil and instructed them to attend future meetings. Concern was also raised over an increase in dog bite cases.
