Sewage on Vas Lane a headache for residents

The sewage overflowing from manholes on the 1st Cross, Vas Lane, has proven problematic for local residents.

The sewage has put off potential tenants for houses on the cross road, as crossing the street has become difficult, said resident Dylan. “People without vehicles avoid taking the road, sometimes even refuse to step out of their houses,” Dylan adds.

Retired teacher Lucy says the manholes have been overflowing for a year, intensifying during monsoon. The colony with beautiful houses now reeks of sewage.

Shenava, retired principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), says writing to the City Corporation Commissioner Mohammed Nazir and former corporator Naveen D’Souza has not helped solve the problem.

Vehicles damaged

Caizer says the engine of his car developed snags due to the ankle-deep sewage outside his gate. He has now spent nearly Rs 11 lakh to get the car running. On a previous occasion, he had spent Rs 9.25 lakh due to damage.

The residents are also afraid of vector-borne diseases spreading in the locality. During the heavy rain last week, they had to break the concrete culvert in order to drain the sewage that had mixed with rainwater from the stormwater drain. “The water would have inundated our houses,” the residents say.

Naveen D’Souza, however, blamed the residents for not cooperating with the authorities for the concreting and underground drainage work.

New pipeline

Raghupal Bhat, MCC junior engineer, says the old, narrow drain line in the colony has not been replaced under the ADB or Amrut schemes.

“The pipeline collecting sewage from Balmatta and Kankanady market chokes the manholes on Vas Lane, causing the overflow. The new pipeline that leads till Shenava’s house needs to be extended and linked to an existing pipeline,” he explains.

“The linking of pipelines after monsoon would prevent overflow of sewage on the stretch,” Bhat assures.

Lucy, however, remains unimpressed, “They said the same thing a year ago.”