‘ADB-funded UGD project a failure in Surathkal

‘ADB-funded UGD project a failure in Surathkal

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, July 13, 2016: The underground sewage network laid in the city, by drawing a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), has still not been completed in Surathkal in the city, according to some councillors and officials in the corporation.

During a meeting here on Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim said that the contractor, who took up the project, should be blacklisted.

The project taken up by the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) a decade ago, for the city corporation, is still uncompleted with missing links in the network in at least 25 places.

Of the 360-km long network laid with an estimated cost of Rs. 218 crore in the city, 90-km long underground pipelines from Hosabettu, Kulai, Katipalla and Surathkal areas were connected to the 16.5 million litres-a-day (MLD) capacity sewage treatment plant at Surathkal.

Mr. Ibrahim had called the meeting to review the progress of development works of the city corporation.

Engineers of the civic body said that some manholes in Surathkal area had also collapsed. The manholes had been set up using laterite stones instead of concrete mixture.

There was seepage in the network at many places. Pipelines laid underground were uneven.

The network has polluted the areas as sewage was flowing in open drains.

The STP did not have generator back up for restoring power in case of power supply.

An official said that six councillors representing Surathkal area have said that they did not want the second stage of the UGD project to be taken up in those areas to cover uncovered houses unless the issues of the first stage project were corrected.

Mr. Ibrahim questioned the corporation for taking possession of the project from the KUIDFC without conducting trial run properly.

“I told you not to inaugurate the STP at Surathkal. But you went ahead. Now it has not benefited anyone. People would have let their house sewage to the traditional sewage pit,” the Deputy Commissioner told the engineers and councillors with Mayor Harinath present in the meeting.

Roopa D. Bangera, Leader of the Opposition, questioned why house connection was allowed in Surathkal area without proper trial run. The Mayor said that a company which bagged the contract has sub-let the contract.

Mr. Ibrahim directed both the officials of the KUIDFC and MCC and the councillors to work out a solution by mutual consultation.

Courtesy: The Hindu