Water logging threat looms as drain works delayed

Vijayawada: Residents of Vijayawada have to face hardship this rainy season too due to slow progress of the storm water drain works, which were taken up in September 2016. The Central government had sanctioned Rs 451 crore to help the civic body address the problem of water logging whenever there is a downpour.    

But, due to technical and administrative reasons, the works were delayed and started only in June 2017. Of the total 443 km works proposed, only 120 km works have been completed till the end of May, said Executive Engineer (Public Health) N Prasada Rao.  

The storm water drains are connected to Ryves canal, Bandar Canal, Budameru drain, Eluru canal in the city and Guntur Thippa drain in Auto Nagar. Small drains are connected to the major drains, which will be connected to canals and Budameru.   

A detailed survey has been conducted for construction of side drains in the city. The L&T company, the contractors of the works, had decided to construct 443 km drains, including 142 km major drains and 301 km minor drains. In the last one year, less than 30 per cent works were completed. 

If the drain works continue at snail’s pace, the denizens have to face problems with stagnation of rain water in the pits and trenches dug for laying the cement drains and construction of culverts.

Roads were dug in many parts of the city for construction of drains. There is a danger of vehicles getting skid on the roads due to presence of mud. The workers are digging mud and dumping on the roads.

The mud may prove dangerous in the rainy season for vehicles.  There is a possibility of falling little children in the pits dug for laying side drains. The contractors are using precast technology for the construction of side drains. 

Several hundred workers were roped in and heavy machinery is being used for the construction of drains. Works are continuing at more than 30 places in the city. The workers are facing problems due to presence of electrical poles on the roads and underground cables.

Indiscriminate digging of earth may damage the underground cable wires, drinking water and underground drainage pipelines, said Executive Engineer Prasada Rao. He said the workers have to be very careful while digging the roads. He said the Public Health Department is paying money to the Transco for shifting of the poles. He said the shifting of poles is a very big task and takes lot of time. 

He said thousands of steps of the houses and shops were demolished in the city for laying the side drains. Arranging cement slabs on the newly constructed drains is also a lengthy process, he added. He said the staff is trying to complete the works in one year. 

When the works were started, residents felt happy that their problem would be solved soon. But, it will take at least one more year to complete the ongoing works. Bandi Punyaseela, Opposition leader in VMC council said that the citizens living in dozens of colonies are suffering due to slow progress of storm water drain works.

Many corporators in the recently held VMC council meeting demanded that the storm water works should be completed as early as possible. Mayor Koneru Sridhar asked the Public Health department to complete the works as early as possible.