Mangaluru: Stating that two raja kaluves (major storm-water drains), the one joining the Netravathi and the other the Phalguni, have been encroached upon in certain places, Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil S. said here on Tuesday that the process of clearing them will commence in a fortnight.
Talking to reporters, Mr. Senthil said that a committee headed by Mangaluru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) Commissioner has submitted an interim report pointing out at encroachments upon the drain from Kottara Chowki to the Phalguni (or Gurupura river) and from Jeppinamogaru to Netravathi. The committee has sought 15 more days to submit a detailed report. Based on the findings of the final report, the encroachments would be removed. “We will ensure that the city has a good draining system,” he said.
The committee headed by MUDA Commissioner was set up following inundation in areas, including Kottara Chowki, Pumpwell, Jeppinamogaru and Alake areas, after heavy rain on May 29.
Mr. Senthil said that Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner Mohammed Nazir and his team of personnel have started clearing visible obstructions in the two drains.
Mr. Senthil said that the storm-water drain from Jeppinamogaru to Netravathi was haphazard. “We need to re-look into it,” he said. Referring to the storm-water drain joining the Phalguni, Mr. Senthil said that there were encroachments in Kottara Chowki and beyond. Waterlogging at the Pumpwell Junction, he said, was a result of structures that have come up on the drain joining the Netravathi.
Mr. Senthil said that the district administration was serious on modernising the storm-water drains that would handle outflow as high as the one noticed on May 29. It was also looking at studies done by National Institute of Technology-Karnataka, Surathkal.