Councillors of Mangalore City Corporation in the meeting of the council on Thursday expressed concern over delay in completing the laying of the 363-km sewer network and associated facilities under the Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan in the city.
The associated facilities comprise constructing sewage treatment plants, wet wells, manholes, and pump houses.
Raising the subject during the Question Hour, the former Mayor M. Shankar Bhat said that Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) under the Karnataka Urban Development and Coastal Environmental Management Project (KUDCEMP) had started the project in 2003, but the works had not been completed.
Mr. Bhat said that many residential apartments were coming up in the city and there was an urgent need to complete the project, the cost of which was estimated at Rs. 150 crore. Other councillors wanted to know the progress of the project.
Commissioner of Mangalore City Corporation Harish Kumar K. told the council that an empowered committee of the Government had extended the deadline for completing the project till this year-end.
He said that vet wells were expected to be ready this June. There were some issues pertaining to land acquisition. That would be addressed. When councillors demanded details on the progress of works, Mayor Gulzaar Banu said she would convene a special meeting to discuss the issue on April 30.
