Sewage from Kerala being illegally dumped in Mangaluru; 2 tankers fined

Sewage from Kerala being illegally dumped in Mangaluru; 2 tankers fined

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, February 15, 2025: Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) officials have seized three tankers that were engaged in illegally disposing of sewage and waste into the Nethravathi river and wet wells in the city.

A team of officials from MCC traced an illegal transport network that was getting sewage in tankers from Kerala via Talapady and disposing of it in Mangaluru. The team has imposed penalties on tankers that transported sewage from Kerala, and cases were also registered at respective police stations. MCC Commissioner Ravichandra Naik said that action against such vehicles will continue. Dumping of sewage into rivers, stormwater drains, and water resources are strictly prohibited.

MCC assistant executive engineer M N Shivalingappa said that 65 per cent of the households in the city are connected to the underground drainage network, while 35 per cent continue to use domestic septic tanks.

The MCC gave license to 20 suction tankers to carry septage from the septic tanks and transport it to the nearest wet wells for treatment and disposal. All 20 tankers are fitted with GPS and are geofenced to monitor their movement. The Command and Control Centre at the city corporation gets alert messages if a tanker moves out of the geofenced area, he said.

On getting complaints that tankers have been dumping sewage illegally in the city, the officials carried out a raid on February 7. The team noticed a vehicle carrying sewage entering Mangaluru city via Talapady. Later, the officials intercepted the vehicle near Mannagudda while it was being shifted onto another vehicle to transport it to the wet well.

The MCC officials imposed a penalty of Rs 10,000 each on both vehicles and also filed a complaint at the Barke police, he said. During the inquiry, the drivers confessed that they were transporting sewage regularly to be disposed of in the wet wells of Mangaluru, he said.

On the other hand, the Mangaluru South Police on February 10 intercepted a vehicle near Jeppinamogaru carrying fish waste, to be dumped into the Nethravati River. The police have registered a case and the MCC imposed a fine of Rs 10,000, said Shivalingappa.

Courtesy: Deccan Herald