UDUPI: Residents of Udupi district, a popular temple town and home to several students, and nearby villages have raised concerns over the lack of an underground drainage (UGD) system in several areas, saying that sewage from Manipal and other urban areas flows into their villages, contaminating wells, creating mosquito breeding grounds and increasing the risk of diseases such as dengue.
Residents of Sagri village, located between Udupi and Manipal, alleged that waste water from Manipal was being discharged into their village without proper treatment. They have urged the authorities to address the drainage problem and connect their area to the existing underground drainage network.
Local resident Sampath said, “All that drainage water flows into our village, contaminating the water in our wells and breeding mosquitoes. It causes health issues for the villagers, such as dengue fever. So, through your platform, I urge the officials from the relevant departments to look into this matter and resolve the problem; it would greatly benefit the people of our village”.
He said Sagri’s lower elevation caused wastewater from the surrounding urban areas to flow directly into the village. “Sagri is situated between Udupi and Manipal. Our village lies at a lower elevation, so the flow comes straight down. They don’t clear the drainage upstream; they just discharge it directly”, he said.
Sampath added that although an underground drainage line was available along a nearby main road, the village had not been connected to it. “No, we don’t have underground drainage in our village yet. There is an underground drainage line on the main road nearby that could be connected to our area, but for some reason, they haven’t made that connection. That is the problem we are facing,” he said.
Asked whether residents had approached officials, Sampath said they had raised the issue with the Deputy Commissioner during a village programme. “We spoke to him about this. He is aware of the situation,” he said, adding that the villagers had submitted a request and were awaiting a resolution.
Another local resident, Umesh Nayak, alleged that the lack of proper drainage infrastructure had affected several villages around Udupi and Manipal, particularly during the monsoon.
“The Udupi municipality area is currently transitioning into a City Corporation; for now, it remains a municipality. While the municipality grants permission for large buildings, it has not yet resolved the associated drainage issues. During the monsoon, drainage water from these large buildings flows directly into our village,” Nayak said.
#WATCH | Udupi, Karnataka | Udupi City Municipal Commissioner Mahantesh Hangaragi says, “In the Udupi municipality area, which is expected to become a municipal corporation soon, permissions are being granted for large buildings without resolving the existing drainage problem. Wastewater from these buildings flows directly into nearby villages, particularly during the rainy season. This year, during the monsoon, dengue cases were reported in two or three villages, with around 25 to 30 people affected. I also contracted dengue, and two or three members of my family were affected… Just as regulations apply to commercial establishments, buildings should not be allowed to discharge wastewater indiscriminately into surrounding areas. Authorities must grant permissions responsibly and ensure proper monitoring…”
— ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2026
He claimed that the discharge had contributed to mosquito breeding and dengue cases in nearby villages during the rainy season.
“Just this year, during the rainy season, there was a severe outbreak of dengue across two or three of our villages; at least 25 to 30 people contracted it. I caught dengue, and so did two or three other members of my household. The mosquitoes breeding there are causing a surge in illnesses,” he said.
Nayak also expressed concern over the possible contamination of groundwater, saying that wastewater was seeping into wells used by residents.
“There is also significant pollution; that water seeps into our wells, rendering it unfit for drinking—there are several locations where the water in the stepwells and wells has been contaminated in this way,” he said.
Questioning the lack of adequate infrastructure despite Udupi’s prominence as a centre for temples and educational institutions, Nayak said development had not been accompanied by comprehensive planning.
“Because there is no comprehensive structural planning here. Since development is currently underway, they are granting building permissions, but they aren’t doing so based on a future-oriented plan. When a city develops, there are certain requirements—like setbacks and proper drainage systems—that must be addressed. Permissions shouldn’t be granted without ensuring these are in place,” he said.
He called for stricter regulations on building owners to prevent the indiscriminate discharge of wastewater and urged the authorities to ensure that building permissions were accompanied by proper drainage arrangements and monitoring.
Meanwhile, Udupi City Municipal Commissioner Mahantesh Hangaragi said that 16 of the 35 wards under the civic body’s jurisdiction currently have underground drainage connectivity, while the remaining 19 wards, including the Manipal region, do not have the facility.
“The drainage work in these 16 wards was completed in 2009. The remaining 19 wards do not have a drainage system. The Manipal region falls within these remaining 19 wards. Since this area has a hilly terrain, pumping wastewater is difficult, which is why drainage work has not been carried out here so far,” Hangaragi said.
He said a Detailed Project Report (DPR) and an estimate had been prepared through the Water Board for the proposed drainage infrastructure, with the estimated cost coming to approximately Rs 1,000 crore.
“Under this proposal, eight wet wells and one Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) have already been proposed. After identifying those locations, the files regarding land acquisition will be moved forward,” he said.
Hangaragi added that repair and improvement work was underway in the 16 wards connected to the existing network, including changing pipeline routes, increasing pipeline diameters and replacing brick-wall chambers with concrete-wall chambers.
He also said that the sewage treatment plant at Nittur, which was commissioned in 2009 with a capacity of 12 million litres per day (MLD) using Aerated Lagoon technology, was being upgraded to a capacity of 20 MLD. The upgraded facility is scheduled to be commissioned next year, he added.
Residents have urged the concerned authorities to address the alleged sewage discharge, ensure proper wastewater treatment and extend underground drainage connectivity to areas that remain without the facility. (ANI)
