Mysore/Mysuru: Though the heritage city of Mysuru had earned the ‘Cleanest City’ tag for two successive  years, the Kuduremaala area (Manasinagar) coming under MCC Ward 21, where more than 350 Pourakarmika families live, is ironically facing a lot of civic issues.

The grouse of the Pourakarmikas living in the area is that while Pourakarmikas play a very vital role in keeping the city clean, their own locality is facing a lot of civic problems such as lack of Underground Drainage (UGD), street-lights and asphalted roads. Also, the storm water drainage system is in poor shape and whenever it rains heavily, rain water enters almost all households, which has become a cause of great concern for the residents of the locality.

Adding to the woes of the residents, is the collapse of compound wall of the Community Hall (Samudaya Bhavan) and the unpotable and stench-bearing water of the borewell.

The  residents complain that most of the streets in the locality do not have storm water drains and as such rain water gushes into houses whenever it rains heavily. This apart, there is a common problem of drainage water overflow as the locality’s UGD system has been linked with the UGD pipeline of Gouthama and Ambedkar Hostels. The roads too are in poor shape with crater-like potholes dotting them.

Last month, two houses belonging to Swamy and Ganesh,collapsed due to heavy rains, following which both the families have been sheltered in the Community Hall. Despite several pleas for repairs, the Slum Board authorities have turned a deaf ear to their plight.

Area Corporator Vedavathi told Star of Mysore that more than 1,200 people live in about 350 homes in Manasinagar. 

Noting that the locality is lacking in basic infrastructure, she said that an action plan has been prepared after the MCC Commissioner and Engineers inspected the area a few months ago. 

Stating that the MCC pointed to dearth of funds whenever she raised the issue, Vedavathi urged the MCC authorities to release funds under the Pourakarmika Welfare Grant, for providing  better civic amenities.

Meanwhile some residents of the locality by name Veera,  Nataraj, Subramanya, Kaparamma and Rangamma said that  the locality faces a lot of problems during the rainy season every year. 

Maintaining that the MCC authorities have not bothered to clear garbage that lie scattered along many roads of the locality, thus causing a lot of stench, they urged the MCC to address the problems that the locality has been facing for long.