A sewage spill from a damaged manhole has spread across the busy PVS Road towards PVS Circle in Mangaluru, creating a slippery surface for motorists and raising hygiene concerns among commuters and nearby shopkeepers. The Mangaluru City Corporation has said officials will inspect the site and address the maintenance problem.
The wastewater is reportedly flowing continuously through a broken pipe protruding from the manhole in the middle of the main road. It has covered a considerable portion of the stretch, leaving commuters to navigate foul-smelling sewage while vehicles continue to use the route.
The condition poses a particular risk to two-wheeler riders, who may lose control on the slippery surface. Shopkeepers in the area said the problem has continued for a long time despite repeated complaints to the city corporation. They also raised concerns that the hazard could become harder to identify during the rainy season, when waterlogging may cover the affected section and conceal the open or damaged manhole.
Raghu, a store owner near PVS Road, said the manhole’s position in the middle of the main road allows sewage to spill directly onto the carriageway. He said the issue had persisted despite complaints and urged the authorities to intervene urgently because of the risk of riders skidding and falling.
A tailor operating a nearby shop described the overflow as a major inconvenience on a road used by a large number of vehicles every day. He said immediate action was needed to prevent a serious accident and to address the continuing spread of sewage across the road.
The incident also highlights the consequences of a localised sewerage maintenance failure on a busy urban road. A damaged pipe and unrepaired manhole have turned a drainage problem into a combined mobility, safety and public hygiene issue for people using the stretch and businesses operating alongside it.
Responding to the complaints, Sahana, a junior executive engineer at the Mangaluru City Corporation, said she had informed the departments concerned. Officials, she said, would visit the location, inspect the problem and resolve the maintenance issue at the earliest.
The next step identified by the corporation is an on-site inspection followed by repairs to the damaged sewerage infrastructure. Until the work is completed, commuters using PVS Road towards PVS Circle face a sewage-covered section of the main road, with two-wheeler riders advised by local users to exercise particular caution.
