Not Coronavirus, Citizens May Soon Get ‘MaranaVirus’ from Bunch of Filthy Open Drains in Our ‘Smart City’?

Not Coronavirus, Citizens May Soon Get ‘MaranaVirus’ (DeathVirus’) from Bunch of Filthy Open Drains in Our ‘Smart City’?

Mangaluru: While our City Officials are overwhelmed and boasting about the “Smart City” status, but have turned a blind eye towards a few open drainages in the city which have been creating unbearable stink, more than that have giving scope for mosquito breeding leading to diseases like Malaria, Dengue and other diseases. Among the bunch of stinky and filthy open drainage that are seen across the City, like one near Alake road, which can be called as the “Mother of all Drainage” is the one flowing all the way from Attavar towards Pandeshwar and furthermore- I have no idea where all these drainage ends, probably into the Arabian Sea or some other river.

While it is nice to note that the District Administration, Dist Health Department, Mangaluru City Corporation, and others are doing a good job in prevention of the spread of Coronavirus/Covid-19, they have completely ignored the bunch of other diseases that have been spread by all these open drains that run through the city, in between homes, apartments, restaurants, hospitals, clinics, businesses etc- and for the last so many decades nothing has been done to rectify this stinking issue. Even Mangaluru Smart City Limited which has planned various development projects has turned a blind eye to these open drains. The open drainage highlighted in this report is the one flowing near Bharatinagar, Bejai, Mangaluru, and the residents living in the apartments and independent houses are not happy with the officials of Mangaluru City Corporation even after repeated requests and complaints made to the MCC office and their area corporator.

Team Mangalorean noticing this Bejai drainage, was shocked to see the filth and stench coming from this drainage, and wondered how the residents and business owners/employees in that area cope with such situation, which totally violates safety and health hazard. And also to our surprise, Team Mangalorean noticed an illegal hoarding carrying the photos of BJP leaders, including our favourite MLA Vedavyas Kamath and the area corporator boasting about the development work of road resurfacing etc in Bharatinagar-Bejai. Even though displaying a hoarding, whether it is flex or non-flex is a violation as per law, and that too our elected Netas have violated the rules.

Secondly, our MLA Kamath and corporator of that Ward, while undertaking the developmental work have totally ignored the much-needed rectification of a health and safety hazard problem, coming from the flowing filthy open drain – and this drain is located just a few yards where the hoarding of MLA, BJP leaders and the corporator is erected. How can the elected representatives turn a blind eye to such a hazardous issue which may spread much more various diseases than the Coronavirus. Apart from a bunch of houses, apartments, businesses, restaurant (Andhra House), shops etc located very close to this filthy open drain, even pedestrians walking by will also be affected. A few employees of Andhra House living in a small room very adjacent to this drain, and one employee speaking to Team Mangalorean said that they have no other option but to live in that condition, where every day and night they have to bear the stench and take the beating from the mosquitoes”.

A senior citizen living in Bharatinagar speaking to Team Mangalorean said, ”When MCC and Smart City Officials have undertaken various developmental projects, they can’t even fix a civic issue like this open-drainage which has been existing for years and lately has been creating a safety hazard to the residents living around it. The odour from this drainage is unbearable with filth, sewage waste, human faeces, etc flowing along with the dirty water, and we can see mosquitoes all along the drainage. It’s a hell out here living close to such filthy open drainage”.

Yet another resident, from a nearby flat said, ” Although I and my family moved into an apartment here, I heard from my neighbours that they have been facing this problem since 20 years, and it’s getting worse lately, with more dirty water adding to this open drain coming from elsewhere. I am worried about my two children who walk close by to this drainage of getting bit by mosquitoes and landing up in the hospital with Malaria or Dengue. Does the City Officials ever care of the safety and health issues of the citizens? How about our MLA and our Ward Corporator”.

Yet another resident who wanted to remain anonymous due to some earlier conflict with MCC officials said, ”Many residents of this area in the past have been afflicted with diseases like Malaria, Dengue and other Vector-borne diseases, right from adults to children. It is scary out here-look at the pathetic condition of the drainage, the smell is terrible some days, and we all have to bear with such consequences every single day. When the residents had contacted the MCC authorities, they gave an excuse stating that to fix this civic issue would cost them crores of rupees. Now that crores of money is pumped into the city from the Central government towards Smart City projects, it’s time that they utilize part of the money and rectify this problem with systematic drainage. Our area corporator should take the initiative at the earliest since we voted for him“.

This open drain has turned into a cesspool of filth and sewage. The odour coming out of this open drainage is unbearable, and the residents living in that area have been bearing the “STINKY SITUATION” for decades. In spite of various complaints made to the concerned officials in the MCC and other authorities, but sadly until now no attempt has been made to rectify this issue nor attempts made to rein in the odour – from an environment point of view as well as sociologically. This odour from this open drainage must be treated as a pollutant, no doubt at all.

And if you ask- Are foul-smelling gases pollutants? How much odour is ‘permissible’? The concerned officials may not even give you the right answer but would agree that they may not be able to ‘legally’ pursue departments to contain the flow of sewage that causes bad odour. One such answer you may get from them is “We have standards for carbon, sulphur, nitrogen-based pollutants and even noise and dust. But, there is no national standard for bad odour,”. Yes, I bet other than wastewater from poultry, fish and meat shops let into these drains, chances are that poop/urine is also let into this drain. But has anyone from the MCC nor the district administration or the Govt Health Department had any concern towards the health factors of citizens like Dengue, Malaria spread by mosquitoes breeding on the filthy drainage water- I bet not. And they call this a SMART CITY?

The only solution for this civic issue is to cover the drain or install pipelines to dispose of the water, other than that someone has to come out with a better idea. Seems like the drainage work is handled by the UGD (Under Ground Drainage) department and the only thing that the ward corporator can do is to assist the locals in his ward and assure them proper action in rectifying the issues. Until then the residents have to keep their fingers crossed to see any progress.

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• Not Smart! Letting Sewer System Flow into Open Drain resulting in Residents Woes