Pending a complete rehabilitation of the underground drainage system in the city at an estimated cost of ₹1,250 crore, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) is keen on overhauling two sewage treatment plants (STPs), equipping them to perform secondary treatment of sewage so that raw sewage does not pollute riverine systems, said MCC Commissioner Rahul Ratnam Pandey.

Mr. Pandey, who recently took charge, was interacting with reporters here on Thursday. While the Kavoor STP was functional and performing tertiary treatment, the plants at Pachhanady and Bajal were performing only primary treatment. The MCC had proposed to overhaul these STPs at an estimated cost of ₹50 lakh each and had sought funds from the Urban Development Department. Sewage with secondary treatment could be discharged into rivers, he added.

As the Kavoor STP was not functional to full capacity, treating 26 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage against its 45 MLD capacity, the MCC was considering pumping sewage from the Pachhanady STP to Kavoor, for which a pipeline estimated to cost ₹25 crore was required. The corporation would try to get funds from the Union government’s Urban Challenge Fund. Treated water from Kavoor was currently being supplied to industries, including the Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd. and industries in the Mangaluru Special Economic Zone.

The MCC’s proposal for the complete overhaul, rehabilitation, and expansion of the underground drainage system in the city at a cost of ₹1,250 crore was pending with the government. The system covered about 65% of the area of the city corporation, with about 30% of it having been laid during the 1960s.

Water supply

Meanwhile, the corporation proposes to lay a new line with a 125 MLD capacity from the Adyar vented dam to the master balancing reservoir (MBR) in the city to supply drinking water, considering the estimated population in 2051.

Mr. Pandey said the existing 80 MLD capacity pipeline from Ramalkatte (Thumbe vented dam) to the MBR had become old and needed to be replaced in the coming days. As of now, water supply was being provided daily to 50 wards and on alternate days to 10 wards, the commissioner noted.

Solid Waste management

Another major issue concerning the city was solid waste management. Mr. Pandey said he would expedite the process of clearing legacy waste at the Pachhanady dumping yard while simultaneously addressing issues concerning the door-to-door collection of waste.

Published - August 13, 2026 07:32 pm IST