Mangaluru City Corporation needs funds for maintenance of STPs and wet wells: Ivan D’Souza

Congress demands more funds to Mangaluru City Corporation from State government for STP maintenance to prevent untreated sewage entering rivers in Mangaluru.

The Congress will urge the State government to sanction more funds to Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) for maintenance of three sewage treatment plants (STPs) and 22 wet wells in the city to prevent entry of untreated sewage into the river system, said Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Vice President and MLC Ivan D’Souza in Mangaluru on Monday (January 20, 2025).

Talking to reporters here, Mr. D’Souza said the fact-finding committee headed by him found that because of lack of maintenance, the wet wells and STPs were not functioning properly. Therefore, sewage coming from wet wells was not getting treated at the STPs and untreated sewage was entering the river system. Apart form dengue, people living downstream of the STPs are reporting water-borne infections and skin infections.

Mr. D’Souza said the report of the fact-finding committee has been given to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and to Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh. “A meeting of officials will be held in Bengaluru after January 26,” he added.

The BJP-ruled MCC council has failed in its fundamental duty of providing clean drinking water to citizens, he said. “We will urge the government to sanction more funds for maintenance of malfunctioning STPs and wet wells and find a permanent solution to the entry of untreated sewage water into rivers,” he said. Netravathi river, the lifeline of Mangaluru, has been declared by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti as among the 13 polluted rivers in Karnataka, Mr. D’Souza noted.

On the last minute cancellation of Mr. Siddaramaiah’s inauguration of Bahu Samskruti Utsava at Town Hall on January 17 afternoon, Mr. D’Souza said Mr. Siddaramaiah, as per schedule, visited his house after laying foundation stone of RGUHS’s regional centre. “He should have gone to inaugurate the Bahu Samskruti Utsava. If it is cancelled then it is the Deputy Commissioner (of Dakshina Kannada) who should give the reason,” he said and denied allegation that he asked Mr. Siddaramaiah not to participate in the programme, which was organised by Tulu, Konkani, Beary and other cultural academies.