MSCL Meeting on Netravati Riverfront Promenade Project Ends Abruptly in Total Chaos  

By
Alfie Dsouza, Team Mangalorean.
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MSCL Meeting on Netravati Riverfront Promenade Project Ends Abruptly in Total Chaos

Mangaluru: This meeting seemed like one of those Mangaluru City Corporation Council meetings, where uproar is witnessed with the Corporators raising their voices and then ending up in front of the Mayor and Commissioner in the hall well, and it was similar, where Chaos marked a meeting convened by the Mangaluru Smart City Ltd (MSCL) to provide information about the ongoing Netravati Riverfront Promenade project on Wednesday, 31 January at the Kanthi Church Hall, Mangaladevi, Mangaluru.

Many residents raised objections to how the meeting was convened. MSCL general manager (technical) Er Arun Prabha addressing the large audience of stakeholders and the general public said that the 2.1km promenade between Netravati Bridge and Bolara Sea Face in the first phase was an attempt to bring people closer to the river. Many cities across the world that have rivers have similar systems, he said. The public raised objections stating that the project was being executed by keeping the residents in the dark and that many would be affected. They said the meeting should have been attended by the DK Deputy Commissioner and other district officials, and a notice regarding the meeting should have been given at least a week in advance. Environmentalist Dinesh Holla said the construction of a concrete retaining wall for the project could trigger artificial floods.

Among the audience, one member said that many people, including tile factories, fishermen, and others, would be affected by the project. An occupant of the portland alleged that the MSCL had no environmental clearance for the project. Environmental activist Dinesh Holla said the construction of a concrete retaining wall for the project could trigger artificial floods. Er, Arun Prabha’s attempts to inform the audience that the meeting was not a public hearing and that further meetings would be called did not go well with the audience with many speaking in loud voices. They did not even let Prabha talk and the meeting ended abruptly.

Social activist G. Hanumanth Kamath later told reporters that the project should be implemented to prevent encroachment of the riverbed by vested interests. With many people visiting the riverfront, illegal activities too would be curbed. The land belonged to the government and there was no bar for the MSCL to execute the project, he said But not many agreed with Kamath’s remarks and booed him off.

If you look at some of the completed Mangaluru Smart City Ltd (MSCL) already, crores of taxpayers money is WASTED due to unscientific plans and substandard work in roads, footpaths, parks, lakes, smart bus stands, e-toilets, etc. Several projects undertaken by MSCL continue to remain incomplete to date. While many of the projects of MSCL have turned into a misery and a pathetic state of condition, just imagine what would be the fate of the Rs 70 crore stretch of the Netravati waterfront Promenade project a few days or few months all because of MAINTENANCE and NEGLIGENCE, lamented the stakeholders and others. For such a Promenade project to facilitate waterfront gardens, parks, pedestrian-friendly walkways, bicycle tracks, boardwalks, nature parks, and adventure sports. etc is total ignorance and callousness on the part of MSCL and other like-minded lobbyists.

Therefore these stakeholders, boat builders, boat owners and fishermen who make their living on the banks of such a riverfront are being put into hardship and their livelihoods shattered due to the forcible intrusion of MSCL, trying to evict them, just for the sake of an unscientific and uncalled Waterfront Promenade project, which will benefit a portion of the society and ruin the lives of the other part of the hardworking society. After all, it appears that the District Administration has turned a blind eye towards such MSCL misuse of public funds and put the people in hardship and inconvenience. They all vented their anger during this meeting, which led to chaos and many of them threatened MSCL that they would not allow the project to continue further until proper planning and proper documents/etc are shared with them.

There are severe procedural lapses in this project. It is learnt that as of today, Mangaluru Smart City Limited (MSCL) has not conducted a social impact assessment, issued any notices, held meetings, conducted public hearings, nor provided any sketches, surveys or plans associated with the project. Furthermore, the project started without proper Portland transfer from the Port & Inland Waterways department, leading to the illegal bulldozing of the Netravati riverbanks and damaging its ecosystem. The project lacks a comprehensive Detailed Project Report (DPR), and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report, and has not complied with the in-principle approval conditions from KUIDFC. Additionally, there are violations related to tender processes, CRZ & environmental violations, and false statements submitted for obtaining CRZ clearances.

To date, District administration is very insensitive to the issue and there has been no outreach from elected officials such as MLAs, MPs, Corporators, the Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada, Mangaluru Smart City Limited, or the Port Authority for dialogue or grievance resolution of boatyard owners and owners of other establishments but rather directed speeding up the project giving preference to the Rs 70 Crore project. The stakeholders and hardworking common people ask/beg that Precedence should be given to employment and livelihood-generating projects over the construction of luxurious walking and cycling tracks in the name of tourism & city beautification They have cautioned the District Administration and MSCL that if their grievances are not addressed they will go the extreme extent and will fight for justice.

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