Residents of Maravoor and surrounding villages are facing uncertainty due to allegations that treated sewage from the Mangaluru City Corporation’s (MCC) sewage treatment plant (STP) is being discharged into a dam on the Phalguni River, which supplies drinking water to 14 villages. This dam, built in 2017 as part of a multi-village water supply project, has raised concerns among locals about the quality of water.
The opposition members of MCC have decided to conduct an on-site inspection and address the issue at the upcoming council meeting. The MCC had invested Rs 2.5 crore in installing pipelines to direct secondary treated water from the STP to areas downstream of the drinking water barrage. However, residents, including Lawrence D’Souza, have raised alarms, submitting memorandums to MCC regarding the pollution of the river.
D’Souza explained that sewage from areas like Vamanjoor, Kulshekhar, and Bondel flows to the STP in Kerama through a wet well in Moodushedde. While the treated water was initially used for gardening in Pilikula, a pipeline was later installed to direct it downstream of the Maravoor dam. However, when the STP malfunctions, untreated water is released through an open drain, contaminating both the drinking water barrage and open wells in the region.
Opposition leader Anil Kumar confirmed receiving multiple complaints from residents, stating that although MCC had initially taken action, untreated water has been discharged into the drinking water supply again in recent days. He and other council members plan to inspect the area before raising the issue further in the council.
Mayor Manoj Kumar also visited the site recently, acknowledging the complaints about untreated water being released by the contractor managing the STP. He assured that officials are monitoring the situation and working to resolve the issue.
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