MCC Congress Councillors Complain of Overflowing Manholes, Poor UGD Maintenance Work in City
Mangaluru: Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) Councillors Complain of Overflowing Manholes, Poor UGD Maintenance Work in City -They also complained about the encroachment of footpaths by street vendors, vehicles parking where pedestrians face inconveniences and Hardship to move around.
The new Commissioner of Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) C.L. Anand, who took charge on Wednesday, said that a separate meeting of councillors and officials will be held soon to discuss problems related to the maintenance of the underground drainage (UGD) network and find out a solution in the city. During the Council Meeting, the Councillors complained about overflowing manholes and poor maintenance of the UGD network in the city
The Opposition Congress councillors said that the maintenance of UGD or sewer network has collapsed in the city. Senior Congress councillor Lancelot Pinto of Bejai Ward said that many manholes in the city are now overflowing with sewage flowing on the road and in the drains. “The maintenance has failed,” he said, urging Mayor Jayananda Anchan to call an urgent meeting to address the problems. Executive Engineer Naresh Shenoy told the meeting that of 21 wet wells in the city, three – at Abbakka Nagar, Faisalnagar and Bajal – are not functioning due to mechanical problems which are being addressed. In addition, many manholes built earlier using laterite stones have become weak or collapsed.
He stressed the need to have a separate consultant to look into the design and other aspects of the UGD network. Former Mayor and senior Congress councillor M. Shashidhar Shetty who lighted the parking (of vehicles) problems in the city said that the National Institute of Technology – Karnataka (NIT-K) should be consulted to find out a viable solution to the same. Some councillors, including Whip Premananda Shetty, said that the traffic police are taking unilateral decisions on traffic-related issues without consulting the corporation.
Councillor T. Praveenchandra Alva said that either the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) or Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) should be asked to be present in the meetings of the council. Some councillors also demanded that the petty shops in Hampankatta and State Bank of India bus terminus areas pose problems to pedestrians and traffic. They should be removed. As per the government only push carts are allowed on the roadsides and not permanent petty shops, they said.
