Bhatkal: The Chief Officer of Bhatkal halted the excavation work for an underground drainage (UGD) project after strong objections were raised by five municipal councilors. They intervened upon discovering that, contrary to plans to connect drainage to the Venkatapur river at Bhatkal's Shamsuddin Circle, the contractor was attempting to divert the drainage to the Ghausia Street pumping station.

The Sharabi River Cleaning Committee members expressed strong displeasure over this unauthorized diversion. The work was stopped on Monday following the councilors' intervention, who also demanded that the excavated pits be refilled with soil.

TMC councillors have claimed that the underground drainage project, initially undertaken by the National Highway contractor company, IRB, was subsequently passed on to a local contractor. This contractor commenced the excavation work approximately four to five days ago. It is alleged that, for their own convenience and without securing the necessary approvals from the municipality, they clandestinely redirected the drainage towards Ghausia Street. This unauthorized diversion was uncovered only after councillors investigated the ongoing project, uncovering that the contractor had not informed the municipal chief officer or the taluk administration about their plans.

Upon learning of this, the councilors confronted the chief officer, who in turn took the contractor and the municipal engineer to task. Chief Officer Neelkanth Mesta warned the Municipal Engineer, stating that if the contractor did not cease the work, an FIR should be lodged against him at the police station. Mesta highlighted the people of old streets, existing concerns with the Ghausia Street pumping station, noting that numerous wells have been contaminated and the nearby Sharabi River has been polluted. He deemed the contractor's unauthorized actions as absolutely unacceptable and warranted police complaint.

Later, the Chief Officer, along with the Municipal Councilors, inspected the excavation site at Shamsuddin Circle and ordered an immediate halt to the work. Mesta mentioned that he would inform the Municipal Administrator, i.e., the Assistant Commissioner, about the incident for further action.

Municipal Councilors Qaiser Mohtsham, Fayyaz Mulla, Abdul Azeem, Mohiuddin Altaf Kharuri, and Abdul Rauf Naite emphasized to the Chief Officer that any attempt to connect drainage from Shamsuddin Circle to Ghausia Street would face strong public protest and should not be permitted.

It should be noted that a dedicated committee, comprising representatives from the sports centers in Bhatkal's historic streets, has been formed to compel the taluka and district administrations to initiate the cleaning and deepening of the Sharabi River, which has deteriorated due to a malfunctioning drainage system. This initiative falls under the guidance of the local social organization, Majlis e Islah wa Tanzeem. In response to the situation, significant steps are being taken, including a protest demonstration to underscore the urgency of cleaning the river. Following the recent incident of unauthorized diversion of the drainage from Shamsuddin Circle towards Ghausia Street, the committee has expressed strong objection. They have explicitly warned local councillors against the connection of any new drainage pipelines to the Ghausia Street pumping station, firmly stating their opposition to such actions.