Colony dwellers in a prominent city area face ancient mode of living

Colony dwellers in a prominent city area face ancient mode of living

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Aug 5, 2014:   A colony in Milagres ward near Attavar very near a prominent area of the city of  proud Mangalore live  poor labourers for generations in a shacks akin to slums without basic facilities like water, electricity, sanitation and so on, it is an eye sore that speaks ill of the human pulse of this city.

The hapless people living in shacks go through life in the raw day in and day out. Sewage containing drainage waste, waste from the hotels and so on spews from drains and floods the ’homes’ when it rains. The colony stinks of sewage and health hazards stare at the residents here. The residents say that foul water from high rise buildings and railway station flows in the storm water drains. During monsoon, stagnation of rainwater and sewage in the open storm water canal generates unbearable odour that hangs over the entire colony and is constant menace to basic health.

 The Corporator is said to have stated , “the MCC is not in a position to develop the colony as the entire land belongs to the Railways. Though late Sundar Poojary had constructed the rented houses, each not more than 50 to 100 square feet in area, his son-in-law has been collecting the rent from the inmates promptly without providing basic facilities.” The entire colony has only one toilet and a bathroom, which was constructed when Jacintha Alfred was the corporator.

A resident said “only some of the houses have electricity connections. The remaining depend on kerosene lamps at night. A few residents received electricity connections a year ago. Those who have received electricity connections, have to pay increased rent from Rs 300 to Rs 500, which is a burden, ” she said.

An educated youth of the colony said, “my grandmother was born and brought up in this colony that is now over 60 to 70 years old.” The houses are also in pathetic condition and have not been repaired over the years. As there is a coconut tree in front of every house, the roof gets damaged whenever coconuts fall.  The residents have covered their roof with plastic sheets. There is a long queue to attend to the nature’s call in the morning in front of the toilet and bathroom.

Another resident, said “ We all have BPL rations cards, voter identity cards and Aadhaar cards, but it has not helped in any way. We are ready to go away from this hell if the government sanctions us atleast two to three cents land for constructing a roof over our head.” A woman said, “I had applied for site under Asharaya scheme 23 years ago;  Iam still waiting for the site.” The Mangalore City Corporation can not construct additional bathrooms and toilets as there is no space for the same. The corporator said, “I have impressed upon MLA JR Lobo to distribute sites for all the families in the colony in the land earmarked by the MCC at Kannagudde in Kannur. The MCC has acquired 12.25 acre land. The litgation pertaining to the land needs to be sorted out to enable distribution of land among poor,”   he added that each house is provided with a water connection under Jalabhagya scheme of the MCC after I was elected as the corporator. There is one well in the vicinity, which the residents depend on when corporation water fails to reach the houses in the colony.”