Mangaluru: Residents of Boloor, under the jurisdiction of the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC), have once again appealed to the authorities to complete the long-pending underground drainage (UGD) project, saying the absence of a proper sewage network continues to inconvenience hundreds of families.

Despite repeated representations over the years, the project has remained incomplete. While a small stretch of the UGD pipeline was laid several years ago, the work was never extended to cover the entire locality.

According to local residents, nearly 300 people are still waiting for household UGD connections. They say elected representatives have repeatedly assured them that the project would be taken up, but little progress has been made.

Ganesh Gulwady, president of the Ashoka Park Association, said providing an underground drainage system is a basic civic responsibility. He pointed out that although his apartment complex has its own sewage treatment plant (STP), several nearby houses and smaller apartment buildings continue to rely on open drains for wastewater disposal due to the lack of a proper network.

Residents said officials have cited an underground rock formation stretching for about 230 metres as the main obstacle to laying the pipeline. However, they argue that modern engineering methods can overcome such challenges and have urged the authorities to explore suitable technical solutions instead of allowing the project to remain stalled.

The issue was recently discussed at a meeting convened by Mangaluru City South MLA D. Vedavyas Kamath with senior officials, representatives of local organisations and residents. During the meeting, officials explained that funds had earlier been earmarked under the Karnataka Urban Development and Coastal Environmental Management Project (KUDCEMP), but the work could not proceed because of difficult geological conditions.

Officials estimate that completing the project will require around ₹3 crore. Kamath assured residents that he would continue pursuing the matter and make efforts to ensure the project is taken up.

Separately, MLC Ivan D’Souza also met local residents and assured them that steps would be taken to find a solution to the long-pending issue.