UDUPI: Despite spending nearly Rs 3 lakh per month on maintenance, the stinking Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Nittoor drew sharp criticism from Karnataka Upa Lokayukta Justice B Veerappa during his inspection on Friday morning.
Visibly upset over the black-coloured water flowing out of the plant even after undergoing six stages of treatment, Justice Veerappa termed the situation alarming and directed officials to register a case against Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) official Keerthi Kumar for negligence.
The STP, commissioned in 2010 by the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC), is due for upgradation at an estimated cost of Rs 30 crore. Though the funds have already been sanctioned, the upgradation work has not yet commenced. CMC officials claimed ground work has already begun. Improper information and lack of clarity among officials further irked the Upa Lokayukta.
Expressing concern that poorly treated water was being discharged into the sea, Justice Veerappa said that the public was being made to “eat poison indirectly”.
He noted that while STPs in nearly 18 other districts were inspected, nowhere had he witnessed such visibly dirty water as in Udupi.
During his visit towards Malpe, Upa Lokayukta also observed the plight of residents affected by contamination of the Indrani river. Indira, a local resident, said none in the locality could use well water from past many years now.
“Earlier, we used to use the water even for bathing. Now even fish are not surviving as the water is full of chemicals,” she rued.
She added that many residents suffer from asthma and breathing problems due to the foul smell.
“The CMC supplies piped drinking water, so we are surviving. During the evening hours, we close our doors as the odour is unbearable,” she said. Justice Veerappa warned officials that such apathy would not be tolerated. Upa Lokayukta further continues his inspection drive.