Vijayawada Municipal Corporation to replace water pipelines

Vijayawada: The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation has decided to replace water pipelines to the extent of 25 km in different parts of the city to avoid water contamination in the water pipelines.

The civic body is conducting a detailed survey across the city for identification of leakages and damages to the pipelines. Of the total 702 km water pipelines laid and maintained by the VMC in the city, only 25 km water pipelines have damages and leakages. 

Chief engineer of the VMC P Adi Seshu said the civic body is conducting the survey to ensure supply of pure drinking water to the citizens. He said the municipal staff are collecting samples at 500 places every day and testing the quality of water.

With the death of nearly 20 people in Guntur due to contamination of water supplied by the Guntur Municipal Corporation two months ago, the state government instructed all the municipalities and the municipal corporations in the state to conduct a detailed survey on the condition of water pipelines and find out the leakages to take up measures to ensure supplying of pure drinking water.

As per the instructions, the VMC staff is conducting the survey and so far identified 25 km pipelines are to be replaced. These pipelines are very near to the drainage pipelines. There is a possibility of mixing of drainage pipeline water in drinking water pipelines.  Drainage pipelines are getting damaged in many parts of the city due to ongoing storm water drain works.

The VMC is supplying 245 million litres of water per day through the 64 water reservoirs located in 59 divisions of the city. The VMC is spending crores of rupees for purification of water at the head water works located at One Town and for pumping the water to the reservoirs.

The chief engineer said the staff will continue the survey for identification of leakages. He said proposals have been made to replace the water pipelines to keep these pipelines away from the underground drainage pipelines. The CE said denizens can lodge a complaint with the VMC staff in the municipal divisions or at the main office, if they notice contamination of water supplied by the VMC.