Nethravathi riverfront promenade will be opened in June second week: DC

Steps being being taken to implement permanent solution to flooding in several low-lying areas of Mangaluru during monsoon.

Mangaluru: Deputy Commissioner Darshan H V has said the Nethravathi riverfront promenade work taken up by Mangaluru Smart City Ltd is expected to be completed shortly. 

The project is spread across 2.1 km and work on 1.8-km stretch would be completed by this month end and the completed work would be inaugurated in the second week of June.

The Deputy Commissioner said the access road to the promenade is currently narrow, and discussions were being held with a club to facilitate an entry route along with parking arrangements. He added that the owner of a nearby tile factory had also agreed to provide access to the promenade, and steps would be taken in this regard. As the construction work was still in progress, public entry to the park area had been temporarily restricted to ensure that people are not inconvenienced with the incomplete work, he said.

A view of the ongoing Nethravathi riverfront promenade project in Mangaluru. 

Rain preparedness 

In view of artificial flooding occurring in several low-lying areas of Mangaluru during monsoon, steps are being taken to implement a permanent solution. He said that out of five proposed works aimed at increasing the height of storm-water drains in Pumpwell, three projects have already been taken up.

In some areas, land acquisition was required to take up permanent work. Steps would also be taken to clear the encroachments of drains in some areas.

Darshan added that desilting of storm-water drains and raja kaluves would be completed by May 26. Following complaints that desilting works were not carried out properly in previous years, the administration had this time take up the works under the supervision of local residents and interested citizens. A stakeholders' meeting would also be held to ascertain the works taken up. Further, the Deputy Commissioner said that officials had been directed to clear removed silt from the banks of the raja kaluves. 

Responding to a query on encroachment clearance, Darshan said information had been obtained from the National Highways Authority of India regarding encroachments along national highways 66, 75 and 73. Clearance drives had been initiated with the support of local teams, he added.

To a query on enumerators who carried out Census work were not given compensation after they met with accidents, or suffered dogbite or bee stings, he said, "We have collected reports on such incidents which will be submitted to the government. The taluk administration has ensured treatment in case of accidents. All the DCs have demanded compensation for enumerators in case of accident. The issue will be discussed with the Director of Census Operation."