Udupi: Lessons taught by experience

Udupi is no different in the sense, the City has incurred casualties owing to heavy rains in the previous years.

The major concern is on the artificial floods during rainy season that destabilises the routine life. Unplanned and clogged drains are the reason behind artificial floods during monsoon.

During previous years, Udupi CMC had attempted with innovative ideas to set right the drainage systems and trenches. However, almost all precautionary measures proved futile owing to the heavy rains resulting in the overflow of the drains and the Kalsanka
trench.

Speaking to City Herald, CMC Commissioner Gokuldas Nayak said the CMC has planned everything based on the past experiences. As Kalsanka trench is the cause for 80 per cent of the problems owing to artificial floods, desilting work on Kalsanka drainage is taken up along with the minor drains on priority basis.

“We are cleaning the blockades especially concentrating on plastics, papers and waste materials that clog the drainages. We have already made a list of areas which was hit with artificial floods last year and have studied the reason for the artificial floods. Measures will be taken following the analysis.”

Removal of cable wires

Besides desilting works, some of the measures include narrowing of the drainages and removal of the cable wires that are put across the drainages are also undertaken. Some old trees have also been identified in residential areas that may block the drainages and trenches.

National Highway widening process is also the reason for worry as most of the drainage channels on either sides of the stretch have been blocked for road widening purpose.
Nayak said: “The CMC is coordinating with National Highway officials. We are in constant touch with them and they have assured to lend all help if problem arises. We have kept our emergency unit ready to face eventualities. The team comprises of five labourers, health inspector and JCB.”

“The squad will be monitoring the situation round the clock,” he said.

Uncertainty still lingers on as to how safe these measures are? Consequences of precautionary actions adopted by CMC towards solving artificial flood within the city limits will be known when the region receives heavy rains. However, the CMC is confident of mitigating the artificial flood problem, thereby do away with the bitter experiences of past.