Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal
Bantwal, June 12: Chief officer of the Bantwal municipal council, Nazir Ahmed, assured members that discussions would be held with the tahsildar regarding permitting light vehicle movement on the old Panemangalore bridge. He added that experts from the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) would be consulted to assess the bridge’s load-bearing capacity.
During the general meeting of the municipal council held under the chairmanship of president Vasu Poojary, the issue of traffic restrictions on the bridge came up early in the session. Member Idris P J staged a walkout, stating that instead of resolving problems, the administration was creating new ones.
Later, member Abubakkar Siddique expressed strong displeasure over the traffic ban order issued by the tahsildar. “Will merely closing the road without allocating government funds for repairs solve the issue?” he questioned. He demanded that the restriction be lifted by Thursday evening.
Member Govinda Prabhu urged that steps also be taken to preserve the bridge as a heritage structure.
The chief officer informed that sewage from six locations within Bantwal municipal limits currently flows directly into the Netravati river, and a response has been sent to a letter received from the State Pollution Control Board. Construction of an underground drainage system is the only permanent solution, and local MLA has recommended building a proper STP (Sewage Treatment Plant) to prevent sewage from entering the river.
Tensions rose when engineer Dominic D'Mello mentioned that a member was pressuring him to issue a door number. The chief officer and council president instructed all members to maintain decorum in the meeting.
A proposal to remove the shelter beside the auto stand near the bus stop in B C Road was also discussed, as parked vehicles there are causing inconvenience. Vice president Munish insisted on its removal.
The council also presented a proposal to hand over plastic waste to a cement factory. A study tour for the municipal administrative staff and officials to Jaipur was approved during the meeting.
Members Hariprasad, Lukman Bantwal, Ramakrishna Alva, Mohammad Nandarabettu, and Janardhan Chenthimar participated in the discussions.