VIJAYAWADA: It has been 20 months since the stormwater drain (SWD) project has been launched, but, the contracting agency still continues to face administrative problems which are affecting the progress of the project. Though the Rs 460-cr project has gained momentum with the support from the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) over the months, the contracting agency is still trying to overcome issues pertaining to shifting of utilities, unhygienic working conditions etc.
One of the major difficulties that the contracting firm witnesses on a daily basis while executing the project is the unhygienic working conditions. “As the city is an unplanned one, there is improper underground drainage system in most parts. So, we have to first clean the habitat sewage water that flows through the drains even while we work. The health of several workers also got affected due to this, and they were reluctant to continue the work. However, we are getting more workers as it is a part and parcel of our job,” a senior official of the contracting agency explained. As of now, 850 workers are deployed at various locations in the city, and efforts are on to deploy 200 to 300 more workforce from June.
So far, out of the total 444 km, 118 km length of SWD works have been completed. For the record the contracting agency was awarded the project, which is to be completed in three years, in September, 2016. However, full-fledged works took off only in June, 2017. “It took us about eight months to finalise the scope of the work. So, it has been exactly a year since we have actually started working on the project, and we are now laying drains to the length of 700 metres per day,” another representative of the firm added. He observed that Municipal Commissioner J Nivas’ timely intervention has helped in expediting the progress.
The other major problem faced during the execution of the SWD project is the presence of utilities in the working area. The representatives of the contracting firms observed that even though they have requested the Public Health department, which is the project implementing agency (PIA), for relocation of utilities, there has been no response yet.
“This is a major reason for the slow pace of works as there are electric poles, transformers and other utilities all along the roads. The electricity department has to move them, but it is not doing so as the budget for relocation are not being given by the PIA,” they remarked. They added that if encumbrances are cleared, they would be able to complete the project much before the date mentioned in the contract.
However, the VMC, which is acting as a facilitator to ensure that the project is completed within stipulated time, has proposed an alternative to the issue. “We have asked the executing firm to pay for the relocation of utilities as there is a delay. The firm can get the money reimbursed later. This will not only help in overcoming the delay, it would also expedite the works,” Municipal Commissioner J Nivas told TNIE.
