VIJAYAWADA: THE Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC), spent around Rs 186 crore for the Krishna Pushkaram works in the city. Nearly 95 per cent of the works have been completed and the remaining works will be finished in the next two days, City Mayor Koneru Sridhar said on Wednesday.
Speaking a press conference here, Sridhar said, as many as 66 municipal commissioners will be deployed on special duties for pushkarams to monitor the sanitary works near the bathing ghats. Nearly 18,000 sanitation staff will be deployed to monitor the sanitation round the clock, he added.
Listing out the arrangements made by the VMC for Krishna Pushkarams, Sridhar said, the corporation had spent Rs 105 crore for executing 56 development works in the city for the upcoming Krishna Pushkarams. Of the total amount, Rs 97 crore was spent towards road widening works and foot path construction while Rs 8 crore for renovating the Tummalapalli Kalakshetram. In the second phase, Rs 40 crore was sanctioned to develop toilets, water supply, accommodation facility and pushkar nagars in the city, he said.
Around Rs 39 crore was sanctioned by the government, in third phase, to provide services for the pilgrims. Nearly 3,700 mobile toilets were arranged in the city and its suburbs by the corporation to avoid open defecation at all bathing ghats and pushkar nagars. Makeshift rooms will also be setup near all the bathing ghats to enable women pilgrims change after dip. Information centres will be also setup at major bathing ghats.
Public address system had been arranged to make timely announcements, regulate the surging devotees and to prevent missing of children in the crowd. “All safety precautions will be taken to thwart any untoward incident at the bathing ghats,” he said.
“About 70 medical camps will be set up at various places to provide emergency medicare to devotees. Emphasis has also been laid on supply of drinking water to devotees in queue lines,” he added.