Stormwater drains in city breeding diseases

Stormwater drains in city breeding diseases

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Nov 30, 2016  : When 68-year-old Padubidri Ganesh Prabhu shifted to Gundu Rao Lane, Mannagudda, five months ago, he had never imagined that he would regret this decision soon. He had to spent 12 days in a hospital as he suffered from dengue. He is still recuperating from the effects of the vector-borne disease, which has left him weak.

 

The cause for his problem and manjority of others in the locality, is the open stormwater drain near his house. The sewage from the nearby apartments flows here and not only in Mannagudda, the whole storm water drain network in the city flows with filth and sewage which is providing a healthy breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Prabhu said, "Locals say that the city corporation engineer had asked the apartments to direct the sewage into the drain as the existing Under Ground Drainage (UGD) system was unable to cope with the increased load of new apartments. Prabhu who was working in Bantwal, shifted to his ancestral house at Mannagudda after re-building it.


"Earlier the drain used to be dry and had water flowing only during monsoon. Now, it is always filled with black, foul smelling water. Numerous complaints to city corporation has not helped. Whenever I call to complain, they send fogging machines - which is temporary," he added.


"The authorities have ignored the problem citing many excuses. The primary excuse being the lack of funds. Complaints to city corporation have gone in vain," he said.


Local corporator Jayanthi Achar said, "We have not found where the blockage occurs in the UGD line near Sanghaniketan. I have informed the commissioner about this and we will take necessary action,’’ she said.


Jayanthi also said that there was a legal hurdle in one of the places where the new UGD line is to pass and that is being sorted out.

Courtesy:TOI