If MCC Constructed New Drains, Why are City Roads still Flooded?

If MCC Constructed New Drains, Why are City Roads still Flooded?

Hard earned tax-payers money gone down the drain! If MCC Constructed New Drains, Why are City Roads still Flooded?

Mangaluru: “Water” has been the main topic for the last so many months. Couple of months ago citizens were crying we need more “water, water, water”- and couple of months later, they are still crying that there is more “water, water, water”?. Seems like “Water” has become very controversial? And rain water has been creating lots of problems to the people and motorists due to flooding- but blame should not go to the “Rain God”, but to our MCC officials who were careless while constructing drainage system. Couple of days, the flooded road near Jyothi Circle was highlighted in majority of media publications- but this is not just one spot where its flooded- if you travel across the City, every nook and corner of the city is flooded-even though newly constructed drainage are nearby.

It’s sad to note that even after decades of city experiencing flooding during monsoons still they have not found a permanent solution for this problem, which arises year after year during heavy rains. And in spite of constructing new drains, it looks like its a waste of tax-payers money, since water is still oozing out of these drains onto the roads, creating havoc to motorists and pedestrians. For years people have seen flooding in front of City Centre Mall, on KS Rao road- and even this year it is the same, with water gushing out of the manhole resulting in flooding of the road.

Even though the various problems created by the flooding and so on, was an eye-opener for Mangaluru City Corporation Mayor, City engineers/contractors and other officials but it doesn’t seems like they have learned anything nor they care to improve and rectify the problems- while the streets remain still flooded during heavy rains. So by the way, why does this happen? Fundamentally, the existing infrastructure and drainage system in the city cannot handle the excess water whenever there’s a downpour. Originally, storm water drains in the City were designed in keeping the water stored- They served the purpose so long as the population of the city was within a certain limit. The unprecedented growth of Mangaluru, unaccompanied by the necessary infrastructure, has precipitated problems of a large magnitude. The city drainage system comprises major drains, roadside drains and shoulder drains, all of which get overburdened during the rainy season.

Regarding the newly constructed drainage- most of them don’t have a proper beginning and a proper end- as a result drain water overflows on to the streets. Poor planning and poor work, for sure. Also culverts are not de-silted; puddles not identified; no proper channels to drain rain water in many parts of the city; also MCC says that solid waste management contractors have failed to remove garbage/debris choked drains. Due to the recent furious flooding, MCC Mayor Kavitha Sanil had taken her colleagues/officials to task and warned them for their failure to prepare the city to face the monsoon fiery. She also instructed them to not to take up any road digging works during monsoon season, and also ordered them to complete the works of roads which were dug to repair public utility service lines soon. Will these officials comply to Mayor’s orders is something that needs to be seen to believe?

Speaking to Team Mangalorean during a function, Mayor Kavitha said, ” It was indeed the failure of the Engineering and Health Department that came to my notice after all these problems due to heavy rain. These officials should have known better and should have been ready before the monsoon started. I have directed all the officials concerned to work ahead of the monsoon, and see that such problems affecting the people and motorists don’t occur again. At the moment, the works related to cleaning of culverts or clearing the road blocks will only be dealt with. Hope that we will not face any more furious flooding like other day”

In conclusion, encroachments, revenue layouts and illegal constructions, especially along storm water drains and in low-lying areas, are other major causes of flooding. These problems are common to all cities in India and are not peculiar to Mangaluru. In fact, coastal cities like Mangaluru face bigger problems, virtually every monsoon. What’s required is a comprehensive approach to the problem, which essentially involves putting in place a sustainable drainage management system as in developed countries. A storm water drain renovation and management projects pertaining to these issues need to be implemented soon.

As the city grows in population and sprawl, there’s a need for concerted action on the part of city planning and civic agencies to tackle the problem of flooding, which can not only damage the physical infrastructure but has serious implications on the safety and security of the people. Building a good drainage system should form a part of the Mangaluru Master Plan , which is lacking terribly. While the City officials and local MLA’s, MLC and other politicians are boasting about Mangaluru as one of the “SMART CITY” of India, it is time that they also put in some dedicated, sincere and committed “SMART” people to manage effective work in the development of the city- and also make sure that the drainage and footpaths are constructed to the standards, which will benefit the citizens of Mangaluru.

Also Read Related Articles:

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Mayor Kavitha Sanil Inspects Flood affected Jyothi Circle and Jappinamogeru area

No Proper Drainage-Streets Flooded in City