Appeal to mayor to correct major drainage problems in MCC limits

Appeal to mayor to correct major drainage problems in MCC limits

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, June 30, 2016: The MCC, Mangalore City Corporation members have urged the mayor to set right the loopholes in the newly constructed manholes, wet wells and underground sewer network taken up at Jeppinamogaru and Surathkal.

The UGD, underground drainage works were taken up under the Karnataka Urban Development and Coastal Environmental Management Project (Kudcemp) funded by the ADB, Asian Development Bank.

Raising the issue, the corporators said that the sewage treatment plants (STP) at Jeppinamogaru and Surathkal were inaugurated much before the works were complete. “After the households were linked to the sewer lines to the drainage system in Surathkal, the wet wells and manholes started overflowing at Madhavanagara, Idya, Thadambail region.

“The sewage treatment plants should be charged only after all the problems in wet wells and manholes are rectified. In spite of inaugurating the sewage treatment plants, the sewage water still flows on the open drains,” they said. Corporator Ganesh Hosabettu and Ashok Shetty said that, owing to the overflow of wet wells, the water in around 10  wells in Surathkal region has been polluted.


Reacting to it, the executive engineer said that the retrofitting work of about 70% of the manholes and wet wells has to be undertaken in the Surathkal region.

“At a few places, the manholes have collapsed. As manholes have been constructed with laterite stones without plastering work, the sewage water has seeped into the wells in the nearby areas in Surathkal. The Corporation has written to the Kudcemp managing director over the condition of the manholes, who, in turn, has asked to repair the manholes and wet wells with the help of contractors who had taken up the work. The houses where the water of the wells have been polluted will be supplied water from the Thumbe vented dam. The work on pipeline connections to these houses has been taken up,” he said.

N Shiva Shankar Swami, Deputy Commissioner (Development), said that there is a need for Mangalore City Corporation and Kudcemp officials to conduct a joint survey to deal with the manholes, leakage in Surathkal and Jeppinamogaru regions.

Corporators Abdul Rauf, Sudheer Shetty, Premanand Shetty and others demanded a high-level probe into the poor quality of works taken up under first phase of the ADB project.  Mayor Harinath directed the officials to rectify the problems in wet wells, manholes in Surathkal at the earliest. The households should not be connected with the sewer lines till the problems are solved, he added.

Padil-Bajal road

Raising the issue of inordinate delay in completion of the road underbridge on Padil-Bajal Main Road, Corporator Vijaykumar Shetty said that rail underbridge (RUB) along Padil-Bajal road is creating more problems than helping people.

The underpass was constructed as a result of long drawn agitation from people. The RUB that was supposed to solve people’s problems has only compounded their woes rather than solve it. 

Linge Gowda, executive engineer, responded that the Karnataka Land Army Corporation Limited, which had taken up the work on the road, has stopped the work. As a result, the work on the road was handed over to another contractor.  Owing to the heavy rain, the work could not be taken up. The road would be made walkable for the people within two  to three days.

A corporator said that drains along the national highway from Pumpwell to Gorigudda has been blocked and has been causing inconvenience to the residents. In response, the mayor said that he will convene a meeting of the corporators and NHAI officials at the earliest.

The council meeting resolved to ask a government agency to prepare a report on technical feasibility and how to mobilise funds for the Surathkal Market Complex project.  It decided to ask the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) to prepare the report. The market will be developed on 3.55-acre land.

Smart city : The council approved the new proposal prepared for the Smart city project.  As the city was not selected for smart city in the first phase, the proposal will be submitted once again. The proposal included upgrade of port, development of fish markets, preserving museum and traditional buildings and others.