It has been more than a decade since the Asian Development Bank-funded underground drainage project was launched in the city and seven years after the actual work began. But people in many areas here are still waiting for a house connection.
Residents of Surathkal, Hosabettu, Kulai, Katipalla, Shivabagh, Maroli, Tarethota, Pumpwell, Yekkur, Jeppinamogaru, Bajal and the surrounding areas are still not sure when they can connect their houses’ sewer lines to the manholes in the main line.
Officials said that of the 355-km long sewer lines under the project, a 200-km long network, connecting the sewage treatment plants at Kavoor and Pachchanady, has been commissioned. Now only the 155-km network connecting the plants at Surathkal and Jeppinamogaru have to be commissioned and that was pending due to issues regarding electricity connections.
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M. Yeshavantha Raju, Executive Engineer, Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation, which is the executive agency of the project for Mangaluru City Corporation, told
Therefore the Jeppinamogaru plant could not be put on a trial run.
B.T. Kantharaj, Deputy Commissioner (Development) and Superintending Engineer, Mangaluru City Corporation, said that it appeared that the power supply line work from Kulashekara to Jeppinamogaru plant was of a poor quality and power did not reach the plant and fuses on the line often got burnt.
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Mr. Raju said that the Surathkal plant would be put on trial run in a few days as the approval from the Railway Electrical Inspectorate and Technical Audit and Quality Control of Mescom had recently been obtained.
D.K. Ashok Kumar, chairman, Standing Committee on Town Planning and Improvement at the corporation, and Mr. Kantharaj said that a meeting has been convened in the corporation on Tuesday to review the project.
G. Hanumantha Kamath, president, Nagarika Hitarakshana Samiti, said neither the councillors and city MLAs nor officials in the corporation were serious about issues facing the project.