Pics By: Justin D'Silva
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (MS/HB)
Udupi, Nov 24: In the month of October, Daijiworld had reported the pathetic situation of the locals living at Nekkare of Gundibail Ward of the city, whose well-water got contaminated with the sewage of drainage and their difficulties for access to clean drinking water. However, the situation has tuned from bad to worse recently with the sewage flowing on the road from three manholes that are leaking. It is impossible to move around in the place as it stinks badly.
One month ago, the water of Nekkare Kere was clean. Now it has got contaminated due to the mixing of the drainage water. There is no other way other than getting the drainage water sucked through vacuum pipes. But the Jet Sucker available with the Udupi town municipality is not enough for this job. Now a bigger jet sucker needs to be brought from Mangaluru City Corporation. As the bricks of the manhole that was built by KUDCEMP earlier have got completely broken, the drainage water is overflowing on the road.
As the contaminated water is flowing near the wells of four houses, their well water is not potable now. In addition, there is a scare of epidemic due to the continuous flow of drainage water. The administration is not hearing the woes of the citizens living in this area.
As per the information given by elected member of this ward Prabhakar Poojary, a project at the cost of Rs nine lac is ready to find a permanent solution for this problem. Under this project, new drainage pipeline will be fixed at a depth of 19 feet from the surface. In addition, the locals of Balegarabettu and Nekkare Kere will also be provided with drinking water from the city municipality.
Though instructions have been given by the district administration to stop vehicular movement in Nekkare Kere in order to start the drainage work, no development is seen in that regard so far.
Contractors are not willing to take up this work as their bills of previous works done for the city municipality is pending. Though the municipality has sufficient funds from the grant given by the government, they are not properly distributed. So the contractors are not willing to start work on this project.
The city municipality says that they are not aware of the drinking water problems faced by the residents of Nekkare Kere, though the locals have appealed several times.
On the other hand, though 15 months are over after the elections of the local bodies are over, they have not got the power. Right now all the approval is given by the DC. If the city municipality council is formed, then there will be weekly review meeting. But as the council is not yet formed, the officials are not giving a damn to the word of elected representatives say the municipal councillor.
If the district administration and city municipality does not take any action on the drainage issue of Nekkare Kere immediately, the chances of an epidemic spreading in this area is imminent.