Mangaluru: Although we are months away from the monsoon season, water is flowing into some houses in the city. While the hope is that the water is clean, the unfortunate truth is that the water is not from a broken pipe, but from a damaged manhole. Simply put, sewage water is flowing into some houses in the city.
The area from where this incident has been reported is the Lower Bendur area, near Domino’s Pizza. Apparently, the issue is not new and has been the same way for a long time. The residents of the area have already approached the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) and submitted a memorandum in this regard to almost all sections of the corporation such as engineering, health and environment. However, their grievances have fallen on deaf ears.
The existing drainage pipeline passes through private property and has flooded the nearby houses. This poses a major health risk to the residents. Due to global warming and climate change, the rainfall patterns are becoming increasingly erratic and soon, well water will become an important source. Some of the families that have been depending on the wells as a source of drinking water, now complain that the waters have become contaminated due to the frequent overflowing of drainage water. They also say that many of them have developed skin issues as a result.
One of the residents, Annika Albuquerque told newskarnataka.com that even though the MCC has been giving permits for the constructing of various apartments and other buildings, it has not taken any measures to upgrade the drainage pipeline and manholes. “As the manholes and drainage pipelines were installed years ago and are now old, they are unable to cope with the current pressure of drainage water. This is causing the manhole to open frequently and sewage water gushes into many houses. The MCC has provided temporary solutions to the problem, but we want a permanent solution. If not, the area will become the centre of contagious diseases,” she said.
When asked about the issue, local corporator Naveen D’Souza admitted that the overflowing of sewage has been a persistent problem in the area for a long time. He blamed the frequency of the issue on a few non-cooperative families in the area. “In order to address this problem, there is a need to strengthen the capacity of the manhole. One of the families in the area is not allowing this to happen. As the manhole is located adjacent to their compound wall, their cooperation is very essential to undertake any work. However, proper measures have been taken to address the leakage problem for now,” he said.
Meanwhile, Naveen D’Souza informed that the MCC has undertaken a survey in the Lower Bendur area in order to check the status of the drainage pipeline and manholes. “The survey team has already completed around 70 per cent of the survey and measures will be taken to address the problem by the MCC, after the survey report is submitted,” he said.
MCC Commissioner Shanady Ajith Kumar Hegde informed that so far, the incident was not brought to his notice and that he would take all appropriate measures to ensure that the problem will not recur.
