M’luru: Silt and waste accumulated in drains create ripe conditions for flash floods

Mangaluru: Silt and sediment that has accumulated in the storm drains in the city have created ripe conditions for artificial flash floods.

Like every year, city corporations had dredged the accumulated silt in before the start of the Monsoon, averting any major problems. However, the untimely rains have again brought slush, sand, plastic waste, etc. from the elevated areas around the city.

The locals around the Kulur 4th mile complain about slow and unfinished work of constructing protective walls by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). There are complaints that the unfinished work is obstructing the smooth flow of stormwater, and the city Mayor had to ask the NHAI to speed up the work and complete it as early as possible.

The unscientific waste disposal has been another problem that aggravates the problem. Despite the door-to-door waste collection, a huge volume of these non-degradable materials ends up in the drains, choking the already stressed waterways.

People are apprehensive that if the unseasonal rains continue for a longer time and the civic body takes no action, there may be a repeat of the May 2018 flash floods. Water had entered the houses of hundreds of people spread over Kottara Chowki, Malemar, Maladi estate, and other areas due to the very high rainfall in a single day. As the city corporation had not undertaken preliminary work before the onset of the Monsoon, silt had accumulated in the drains and unexpected floods of unimaginable level had inflicted miseries on the people.

Removing the accumulated sediments twice a year, i.e. once in the month of May before the Monsoon begins and again in  August or September, could temporarily solve the issue, locals say.