The failure of the Congress, which was ruling the Mangaluru City Corporation Council, to use funds under the 13th Finance Commission for development of the dumping yard led to the garbage slip at Pachchanady landfill site, said Mangaluru City North MLA Y. Bharath Shetty here on Tuesday.
Talking to reporters here, Mr. Shetty accused the Congress councillors of diverting funds earmarked for development of the dumping yard to works related to roads and pavements, which were taken up to appease their followers. The MCC failed to construct a retaining wall and other preventive steps at the landfill site that led to the garbage slip that damaged houses and brought down several plantations in 15 acres in Mandara.
The Congress failed to update the machinery at the waste treatment plant that resulted in more than 350 tonnes of solid waste being dumped every day at the landfill site. It also failed to have a proper agreement with Antony Waste Handling Cell Private Limited involved in door-to-door waste collection.
“The Congress should take the blame for the hardship that Mandara residents are now facing,” Mr. Shetty said. The party failed to properly lay underground drainage network, which was taken up at a cost of ₹306 crore. There are several missing links in the UGD network, which was causing flooding following heavy rains. Water in several open wells in Surathkal, Krishnapura and Katipalla is polluted because of seepage of waste water, he said.
