Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru, Jul 13: The residents of Pais Garden at Bejai are facing a tough time after sewage from a overflowing manhole entered their compounds.
The residents have raised their voices over the issues they are facing for the last 30 years. The situation in the last 2 years has turned worse. The manholes located on the concrete road overflows continuously after heavy rains following which the sewage enters into the compounds of a few houses. The residents are finding it difficult to live in their houses due to the foul smell.
Due to the sewage, the well water in a few houses has completely contaminated. The residents have sought a permanent solution for the problem.
The majority of residents in Pais garden are senior citizens who are living amid health scare.
The residents are demanding the concerned authorities to address the issue. Even the corporation has failed to shift the waste which is strewn around for the past couple of days.
Speaking to Daijiworld, a resident Radhakrishna Shashtry said, “The drainage water flows into our compounds. Majority of the residents here are senior citizens. Many are suffering from health issues due to the foul smell and unclean surroundings. The higher authority should take responsibility to address the issue and we need a permanent solution for this.”
Another resident Prathima said, “Whenever we call up our corporator, he immediately responds and send labourers to clean the area. My compound will be filled with sewage. I cannot take my elderly parents out as there is sewage in my compound. We all have health issues due to this persistent problem. In the last two years, the problems of drainage have exceeded. The local MLA also should show some concern towards us and find a permanent solution.”
Corporator Lancelot Pinto said, “I totally agree that the residents of Pais Garden are facing this issue from a long time. The drainage line is 50 years old and one of the lines has passed underneath a house. It is the blunder of the corporation authority to give a building license without checking. I have discharged my duty towards the cleaning of the drainage every now and then, but the issue is not sorted out. Pais Garden was then a field and also a low lying area and due to heavy rain, the drainage issue is in its peak.
“The government has made a request to the drainage board to prepare a Rs 200 crore project for drainage. I have made a request to the concerned officials to allot Rs 3-5 crore to resolve the drainage issue here at Bejai,” he said.