OPEN DRAINS: The stormwater drain at Vaidyanath Nagar in Mangalore carries the city's sewage.

MANGALORE: Mangalore city known for its scenic beauty and cleanliness is on its way to becoming an "open drain". The concealed drainage system does not appear to be functioning, as all the stormwater drains have become open sewage carriers.

One of the largest rivulets in Mangalore runs from Light House Hill to Hoige Bazaar river mouth covering a distance of two km passing through Falnir, Attavar, Vaidyanath Nagar and Pandeshwar before joining the Gurupur river. The city corporation has cut open the main drainage pipes and let out the sewage into the drains.

Over 1200 families at Vaidyanath Nagar in Pandeshwar live by the side of the open drain. One of the residents Bhaskar, has been fighting with the corporation for stopping the sewage flow into the stormwater drains for a decade.

According to him, Vaidyanath Nagar situated on the banks of the largest open drain is now the largest open sewage. The residents have complained of unbearable stench and have found amputated human organs and animal carcasses in the drain. The drains pass through the city morgue, Wenlock hospital and a number of private hospitals that flush out their waste material into the drains. According to him, there are instances when the blocked manholes have been broken open allowing the sewage to join the open drains, instead of clearing the blocks. The Lok Ayukta of Karnataka, on the complaint of the Vaidyanath Nagar residents committee has written to the City Corporation Commissioner and Mayor to explain the situation. Mr. Bhaskar alleged that the corporation has misled the Lok Ayukta by stating that the work on the drainage pipeline had been taken up and soon the problem will be solved. He pointed out that no pipeline work is in progress.

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