The Hindu 21.07.2009

10.43 cents of Gujjarakere area has been encroached upon

Raviprasad Kamila

— PHOTO: RAVIPRASAD KAMILA

NEGLECTED: The Gujjarakere in the Jeppu area in Mangalore has turned into a garbage dumping yard.

MANGALORE: A recent survey of Gujjarakere, an old lake at Jeppu here, conducted by the survey section of the Mangalore taluk office has found that 10.43 cents of the 3.43-acre lake has been encroached upon.

Acting on a demand raised by the Gujjarakere Tirtha Samrakshana Vedike, an action committee fighting to save the lake, the survey of the lake area was conducted on May 14 and June 24. At present, the lake is not being used.

P. Nemu Kottari, secretary of the vedike, told The Hindu that it had been mentioned in the survey report, a copy of which had been obtained by the vedike, that an anganawadi building and a petty shop had been built in the lake area. In addition, three private parties had encroached upon the lake area. A part of the lake area had also been used for laying a road on one side, the report said. Pointing at various spots in the lake, Mr. Kottari alleged that a few people were letting domestic waste water into the lake. There were heaps of garbage, including plastic carry bags and other waste material, dumped in the lake area. Two stormwater drains had been linked to the lake. Mr. Kottari said that the lake had become a dumping yard. Yashawanti, a resident of the area, said sewage from an underground drainage (UGD) leaked in the backyard of her house and entered the lake, particularly during rainy season. She attributed this phenomenon to clogging of two manholes during rainy season. The leak had converted her backyard into a breeding place for mosquitoes and flies, besides emanating foul smell. “My house is full of flies. We have been forced to keep every food item covered,” she said.

She claimed to have complained about it to local councillor M. Rajashree and MLA N. Yogish Bhat. But the problem had not been addressed, she said. Councillor Ms. Rajashree said that a few residents in Jeppu had connected stormewater drains to UGD pipeline through sanitation chambers in their houses and apartments. As a result, manholes in low-lying areas in Jeppu overflowed whenever there was heavy rain. Ms. Rajashree said that whenever the manholes got clogged, she had rushed to the spot to address the problem. She said that some houses in P.L. Colony did not have UGD connection. As a result, a few residents were letting domestic waste water into the lake. Providing UGD connection was the only solution to prevent it, she said. Linge Gowda, assistant executive engineer, Mangalore City Corporation, said that the corporation had invited bids to remove silt in the lake and build a retaining wall to it at an estimated cost of Rs. 99 lakh. The corporation had sent a proposal to this effect to the Government.

The proposal was now before the Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department awaiting technical approval.

Mr. Kottari said that the Government should allocate more funds for removing silt. Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, had visited the lake recently when the vedike appraised him of the problems, he added.