Uttara Kannada DC Harshal Narayan Makes First Visit to Bhatkal; Anjuman Islah-o-Tanzeem Delegation Highlights Key Civic Issues

Bhatkal: New Deputy Commissioner of Uttara Kannada schools Municipal officials for sewage discharge in Sarabi River

Bhatkal: The Sarabi river in Bhatkal has become heavily polluted and resembles a drain due to the continuous discharge of sewage into it. Following complaints from the public, newly appointed Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner Harshal Narayan Rao Boyer visited the pumping station on Gausia Street, on Saturday evening and inspected the situation.

The Deputy Commissioner was in Bhatkal to attend the Praja Seva programme held at Belke. After the programme, he visited the pumping station at around 6 pm and sought details from the concerned officials who had arrived from Karwar, as well as officials of the Bhatkal Town Municipal Council.

Municipal officials said the continuous discharge of sewage from the pumping station was the responsibility of the Water Board in Karwar. Responding to this, Water Board Executive Engineer Shivarama Naik clarified that sewage was entering the Sarabi river due to a leak in the wet well and that the Bhatkal Town Municipal Council was responsible for carrying out the repair work.

Following this exchange, the Deputy Commissioner pulled up the municipal officials, including the Assistant Executive Engineer, and expressed displeasure over the negligence in maintaining the pumping station.

Local residents informed him that the generator at the pumping station had been out of order for the past three months and that the pumping machines frequently developed technical faults.

Expressing anger over the situation, the Deputy Commissioner questioned what work officials were being paid to do if they could not even maintain basic infrastructure.

He also instructed Zaheer Abbas, the Municipal Council's Project Director who had arrived from Karwar, to take necessary steps to rectify the technical problems and ensure the smooth functioning of the pumping system.

The Deputy Commissioner said officials responsible for negligence would be called to account at their offices rather than being questioned in front of the public.

Assuring residents that necessary steps would be taken to resolve the long-standing problem, he appealed to them to remain patient.