Udupi: Locals stage protests against toll collection at Sasthan, Hejmady plazas

Agencies

November 27, 2018

Udupi, Nov 27: Demanding an end to collection of toll from local vehicles at Hejmady and Sasthan toll plazas in Udupi district, various organizations yesterday staged yesterday staged dharna in front of both plazas.

The protesters at Sasthan said that toll on local vehicles should not be collected till the meeting chaired by Minister for Women and Child Welfare Jaimala was held on November 28. As they sat before the toll plaza in Sasthan, officers from the Revenue and Police Departments tried to pacify them to no avail. Finally, they were taken into preventive custody and later released.

“The construction of service roads, underpasses and overbridges was still not done at many places from Hejmady to Kundapur by the Navayuga Udupi Tollway Pvt. Ltd, which had undertaken the work. Hence, it was wrong on its part to collect toll from local vehicles with registration number starting with KA 20.” said Pratap Shetty, president of the samiti.

At Hejmady, the police took protesters into preventive custody when they tried to lay siege to the toll plaza. They shouted slogans against the Navayuga company.

Deviprasad Shetty, president, Rashtriya Heddari Horata Samiti, said the National Highways Authority of India and Navayuga company were lying when stating that they had completed nearly 80% work of widening on the Hejmady – Kundapur stretch on NH 66. It was wrong on the part of Navayuga company to collect toll till the work remained incomplete. Till then, local vehicles should be exempt from the toll, he said.

Meanwhile, in an official press release issued here on Monday, the Additional Deputy Commissioner said Ms. Jaimala would chair a meeting on the works of NH 66 at the District Offices Complex on Wednesday.

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Mangaluru’s ₹1,200 crore fix: Massive sewage overhaul to end city’s drainage woes

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

• Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

• STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

• Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

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