Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (JD/EP)

Udupi, Mar 26: The STP pipe connecting the Sharada wet well in Udupi has broken giving rise to the fear of the collapse of the Karavali Bypass flyover.

There are wet wells at four places in the underground drainage of Udupi district administration out of which the Sharada wet well near Karavali bypass has not functioned for the last three months. The wastewater from it goes to the purification unit at Nittur. One of its pipes passes underneath the Karavali bypass flyover. However, the pipe has broken due to the reckless work by the Navayug company. Instead of rectifying the issue, the company continued flyover work over it. The district administration has been inevitably letting wastewater flow directly into the Indrali river for the last three months.

The officials neither repaired the STP plant nor stopped the wastewater from flowing into the river. Environmental Control Board should technically inspect the STP plant outlet once in three months. However, they are asking for a month's time to inspect the plant. "Though only one political party in the state and the Centre, they function as if there is no coordination between each other," said a local Balakrishna Kodavoor.

If the district administration begins to pump wastewater from wet wells to STP, cracks may develop on national highways and the Karavali over bridge is likely to collapse. The administration has to cut the pipe on both sides to prevent the over bridge from collapsing. Meanwhile, the river which was polluted already is polluted all the more.

It is necessary for the National Highway Authority, elected representatives, municipal council and the concerned to act fast and prevent the river from becoming a wastewater drain.