Water Harvesting Day fete on May 18: Dana

Kukatpally: Greater Hyderabad Municipal Commissioner (GHMC) Commissioner M Dana Kishore said that about 6,000 volunteers, along with GHMC, Jalamandali engineers and staff, would participate in 'Water Harvesting Day' programme to be held on May 18 in the city.

• Around 6,000 volunteers, along with GHMC, Jalamandali engineers and staff, will participate

• 150 different locations identified under the 'Saaf Hyderabad-Shandar Hyderabad' programme

• They will be made completely clean by the end of July, by roping in public, NGOs

On Wednesday, Dana Kishore made a sudden visit to Jalavayu Vihar Colony and Bharath Nagar colony. During his visit to Bharath Nagar, the Commissioner instructed the GHMC officials to undertake sanitation programmes even more efficiently in the colony.

He warned a house owner of the colony for releasing wastewater on roads. He ordered GHMC officials to remove construction debris and garbage lying on the internal roads of the colony.

Speaking to the members of the colony welfare association, he said that 150 different locations which were identified under 'Saaf Hyderabad-Shandar Hyderabad' programme would be made completely clean by the end of July with the public participation.

He urged voluntary organisations, women activists and colony welfare associations to come forward to participate in the programme. Responding to the complaint made by the colony residents on the encroachment of a vacant land of the colony, the GHMC Commissioner instructed Musapet Deputy Commissioner Mamatha to investigate the matter. He also ordered the officials to address the streetlights issue in the colony.

Later, Dana Kishore visited Jalavayu Vihar Colony and inspected water harvesting pits in the colony. Speaking on the occasion, he said that the repair of all the water harvesting pits built by GHMC and Jalamandali would be taken up on May 18 as part of special drive.

During his visit to the colony, he expressed his happiness at the cleanliness and greenery maintained by the colony association and wished every colony in the city would be like the colony. He said that GHMC was taking measures to improve greenery and cleanliness in every colony.

"If not in next three months, it may take up to three years to transform each colony into a Jalavayu Vihar Colony," the Commissioner said. As part of Haritha Haram programme which would start in the month of June, meetings would be held with every colony welfare association to know the number of required saplings and the saplings would be supplied before June, he said. Efforts would be made to make many Jalavayu Vihar colonies across the city, he said.

Later, GHMC Commissioner visited Gandhi Memorial Park in the colony and planted saplings. He appreciated a woman named Lakshmi for making beautiful idols with the waste collected from the colony. Kukatpally Zonal Commissioner Shankaraiah, Deputy Commissioners Mamatha, Ashok Samrat and other officials accompanied the Commissioner during his visit to the colonies.