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Untreated sewage let into Phalguni

Tuesday, 28 February 2017 07:41 administrator

The Hindu 28.02.2017

Untreated sewage let into Phalguni

Polluted:Sewage from the sewage pumping station flows into the Pachchanadi rivulet at Pachchanadi, which later joins the Phalguni ahead of Malavoor vented dam.Anil Kumar Sastry

Waste collected at the corporation’s Pachchanadi treatment plant is let into the adjoining stream

The Mangaluru City Corporation has been discharging untreated sewage into the Phalguni (Gurupura).

Sewage collected at its Pachchanadi sewage treatment plant is being let into the Pachchanadi Thodu (stream) away from public glare. The plant can treat 8.75 million litres of sewage per day.

The stream later joins the Phalguni ahead of the Malavoor vented dam built under a multi-village drinking water scheme for 12 surrounding villages.

When The Hindu ventured to trace the source of water contamination, it found that sewage was being let out from the Pachchanadi plant to the stream located off Moodushedde- Bondel Road.

Foul smell

The water, which used to be crystal clear, had turned blackish emanating a foul smell.

Moodushedde Gram Panchayat president Hariprasad Shetty told The Hindu that MCC was told about this issue but no action was taken.

He also claimed that during power failure, sewage was let into the stream for a long time.

Mayor Harinath, however, attempted to defend the civic body, claiming that sewage would have been let out only once in a while. When he was pointed the reality, the Mayor said he would immediately take action. The treatment plant is operated by a contractor and the MCC only oversees the work, he claimed.

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board’s Environment Officer Rajashekar Puranik told The Hindu that the board had already issued notices to Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner.

The sewage treatment plant (STP) has become non-functional for about two months, and would be restored in about a week, he said.

Meanwhile, personnel, managing the drinking water scheme, said that as of now, water quality at the dam has not deteriorated. However, the contamination would increase when the water levels recede, they said.

The project, catering to about 52,000 residents, is on trial run, they said.

Other places too

Sewage, reportedly, is being let out to the Pahlguni from other places too, including Gurupura town, Baikampady Industrial Area and areas abutting the river in the city. Sewage is let out into drains which later join the river thereby contaminating the water. A few days ago, several fish in the river had died near Kenjar village following reduced oxygen levels.

7. Corporators are also expected to attend the civic general body meetings at the BMC headquarters to discuss and move resolutions on key issues like renaming of streets

Friday, 24 February 2017 09:26 administrator

The Times of India 24.02.2017

Now, make your corporator work for you

MC is the richest civic body in the country. Last year, its budget was a staggering Rs 37,000 crore. Each corporator can spend around Rs 1.6cr on ward every year, plus can do a lot more

1. Each of its 227 corporators has a Rs 60 lakh corpus to spend annually. Based on their recommendations, BMC uses the money to fund projects in the ward, provided they meet certain parameters

2. Each corporator can also recommend works in the ward worth Rs 1 crore every year from a development fund, citing local demand

3. Corporators can use their discretionary funds to take up projects that don't figure in the BMC budget, like providing a new water pipeline, cleaning a nullah or installing furniture in a park. However, such work should be on BMC land, not on state or private property

4. You can get in touch with your corporator (BMC gives him an all-expenses paid phone) for urgent repairs or maintenance of civic infrastructure like roads, gardens, manholes and clearing debris

5. A corporator can also be a member of statutory panels like the standing committee which takes decisions on spending for big projects. Decisions are taken on proposals put forward by civic administration and it is up to corporators on the committees to approve or reject the plan within 30 days

6. Ward committees are supposed to have representation of citizens aware of local issues. They are meant to help corporators in planning and budgeting for the area. In reality, these committees have become defunct with many corporators proposing names of people known to them, but who don't have a record of public service or any stature

7. Corporators are also expected to attend the civic general body meetings at the BMC headquarters to discuss and move resolutions on key issues like renaming of street.

Civic issue? Give your corporator a call

Friday, 24 February 2017 09:20 administrator

The Times of India 24.02.2017

Civic issue? Give your corporator a call

BMC gives corporators an all-expenses paid phone, so get in touch with your corporator for urgent repairs or maintenance of civic infrastructure.

What you can do:

1. You can get in touch with your corporator for urgent repairs, maintenance of civic infrastructure like roads or gardens, covering manholes, clearing debris or even re-laying of footpaths.

2. What's more, the corporator is supposed to be on call — the BMC gives him a phone specially for carrying out his duties and also pays the bill (subject to a limit)

.3. You can lobby to get good people on the ward committee. These committees were created under the 74th amendment to the Constitution for decentralisation of decision-making, to include citizens. The intention is to get citizens who know the area to help corporators in planning and budgeting for the area. In reality, these ward committees are often filled with those loyal to the corporator.

4. Keep yourself informed on what your corporator is spending the Rs 1.6 crore on, and whether it aligns with the needs of the area.

Last Updated on Friday, 24 February 2017 09:24

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