VISAKHAPATNAM: The shoddy execution of the desilting works taken up by the Greater Visakha Municipal Corporation (GVMC) and the delay in its completion is costing the residents of One Town and MVP Colony dear with stagnation and overflow of drains as the monsoon lash the areas.
The civic authorities have started the desiltation work in the city about a month ago, after calling for tenders of `7 crore, and as per schedule, to complete the works before the monsoons. However it is learnt that drains in many areas were not yet desilted, and those in a few areas have to desilted again due to heavy accumulation of silt.
The loopholes in the works have come to light after the recent monsoon spells when several colonies in Maddilapalem, Isukathota, HB colony, Madhuranagar, Peda gantyada, Sheelanagar, surroundings of Sri Kanya theatre, New Colony and especially the low-lying areas of One Town got inundated as the drains overflowed due to the shoddy desiltation work of the main drain water channels.
Several areas of Maddilapalem got flooded with only a 30 minutes of rain a couple of days ago. Flooding of roads with drain water at the NAD junction, one of the vital traffic junction in the city, has become a common sight this monsoon.
A GVMC official says that the desiltation works have been finished almost at all areas in the city except in a few areas. “About 5 to 10 percent of desiltation works is left. We have been taking up the works with `7 crore. However, flooding happens in One Town area often as the plastic waste from the food stalls are disposed directly into the drain even though they are banned. Drains near Poorna Market also are also blocked due to vegetables, plastic and other solid waste disposal into the drains.” According to sources, around 800 to 900 tonnes of solid waste a day is generated in GVMC limits.
The residents of a the low-lying areas complain of the water logging and the mosquito menace caused by the stench of stagnated water. They allege that though the GVMC claims of cleaning and desilting the drains, no action has been taken up at the ground-level.
Menace caused by drain closure
The ill-effects of closure of the Isukathota drain by the National Highways Authorities of India (NHAI) is felt by the residents of sector 4 and 5 of MVP Colony and few others. Sources say that there are several problems caused after the authorities closed a major drain near Isukathota.
The superintendent engineer of GVMC Chandraiah said that he would convey the problem to the NHAI authorities so that they can come up with a solution.