24x7 water plan remains a distant dream

Vijayawada: The Nagapur Municipal Corporation model drinking water supply plan was proposed by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation remained still a distant dream to citizens. The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation has proposed a plan to provide drinking water round- the-clock at least half of the areas of the city. Presently, the people of several areas are not getting water sufficiently.

Though the corporation has introduced a water supply plan for releasing water two times a day to every household, the people of several hill areas are facing difficulties for drinking water. Moreover, the citizens expressed concern over supply of contaminated water and the poor implementation of water supply schedule.

According to officials, the city is being supplied 39 million gallons per day for entire city. As per records, every citizen is being supplied 160 litres per day which is 30 litres higher than the daily average water consumption. But the situation is different at grassroot level.

Presently, the corporation is supplying water in different times for different areas. The water supply is fixed from two to three hours a day in morning and evening. Similarly, some areas are getting water two times and some areas are getting once. The corporation could not fix a common water release schedule.

The hill areas are facing difficulties for drinking water. The problem has increased due to scorching heat for the past several days. The areas like Christurajapuram, Arul Nagar, Machavaram Veedhi, Machavaram, SS Bose Nagar, Kandrika, Tannerpet, Chittinagar and Vidydharapuram are not getting drinking water properly.
  
Moreover, the pipeline system is erected parallel to open drain at Macharlavari Veedhi. Sometimes water is flowing on water supply pipes, said M Devaraj, Christian Council Member. Speaking to The Hans India, he said that the water is getting contaminated due to overflowing of drain water.

Similarly, several residents of the area said that they were getting water in blackish for sometimes. Though they brought the problem to the notice of officials of the VMC, they did not take any action, he said. Nandeti Rayappa, resident of Arul Nagar, said that majority of the people were not getting water daily. 

Though there is pipeline system on hill areas, but it was not useful, he said. It is learnt that the turbidity and chlorination levels are more than normal due to water contamination, he said.Even the officials say they conduct nearly 200 water sample tests per day and find they are all normal. However, it is reliably learnt that nearly 20 samples are containing abnormal levels of chlorination and turbidity.

However, the VMC proposed Nagapur Corporation model drinking water supply project almost two years ago at a cost of Rs 120 crore. The water can be supplied round-the-clock for the households in the city, if the project is implemented, said the VMC project director. He said that the project details were submitted to council, but it is  yet to pass a resolution on the implementation.