Ensure no water woes for Bonalu, HMWSSB told

Secunderabad: State Assembly Deputy Speaker T Padma Rao Goud urged the HMWSSB to provide continuous supply of water for three days in view of the Bonalu festival in the Secunderabad Assembly constituency on July 28 and 29.

Goud was addressing a meeting in Sitaphalmandi of organisers of various temples and officials in connection with the Bonalu festival in Chilkalguda. He handed over cheques for Rs 60 lakh to representatives of 112 temples in Sitaphalmandi, Addagutta and Boudhanagar divisions and a cheque for Rs 10 lakh to Kattamaisamma temple in Chikalguda to EO Krishna.

The Deputy Speaker stated that the festival in Kattamaisamma temple attracted lakhs of devotees every year. The government, he said, since 2015 was providing assistance to the temple in the form of cheques every year. The amounts paid were Rs 5 lakh each in 2016 and 2017, Rs 7.5 lakh in 2018. The aid was now increased to Rs 10 lakh.

Goud directed officials to provide sanitation, road repairs, street lights and adequate water/power supply during the festival days. He said the repairs to the Annanagar Nala Road have been completed in view of its use as an alternative pathway to Chilkalguda. GHMC Deputy Commissioner Ravi Kumar said all departments concerned were coordinating their efforts to complete the festival arrangements. Repairs of all roads leading to the temples have been completed. All festival connected works would be completed by Friday.

Endowments Commissioner Balaji informed that all arrangements for distribution of cheques of government assistance to temples have been completed. HMWSSB GM Rajasekhar said steps would be taken to avert any problems of sewerage and water supply.

Among those present at the meeting were Transco ADE Balu Naik, MRO Sharmila, EE Pramod Kumar, Health Officer Dr Ravinder Goud, Chilkalguda CI Balagangi Reddy, Corporators Samala Hema, Vijayakumari, TRS leaders Alakunta Hari, Dayanand Goud.