Apartments releasing sewage into drains: Commissioner visits Anegundi

Following complaints that high-rise apartments in Bejai Anegundi were releasing sewage directly into stormwater drains, Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner Akshy Sridhar visited Anegundi on Tuesday.

The release of sewage directly into the stormwater drains had been causing inconvenience to the people.

Activist Shashidhar Shetty, who had uploaded a video on social media highlighting the blatant violations by high-rise apartments, said that the apartments had not set up sewage treatment plants on their premises. As a result, the sewage was directly let into the stormwater drains.

Shetty sought to know how the Town Planning department in the MCC had issued a completion certificate to the apartments that lacked STPs, which was mandatory. When the Commissioner visited the spot, residents complained that the open drainage was covered to conceal the flow of sewage. The residents informed the commissioner that the low-lying areas face many problems during monsoon when sewage water gets mixed with the rainwater and floods the areas.

The Commissioner also visited an area where poor people were forced to drink water from the well which was polluted with sewage. The residents alleged that officials had failed to act even after submitting a series of complaints.

The Commissioner before returning to office promised to verify the documents of all buildings and take necessary action.

Sashidar Shetty submitted a memorandum seeking action against Town Planning officials for allowing high-rise buildings to brazenly violate guidelines