VIJAYAWADA: The mercury has touched 40 degree Celsius in the city, but due to the apathy of Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC), functional drinking water kiosks are rarely seen. The civic body, which was supposed to install water kiosks in the city during summer, has failed to do so as the proposal awaits the nod of the district administration.
According to VMC officials, the civic body usually spends Rs 12 to Rs 14 lakh in setting up 120 temporary drinking water kiosks in all 59 wards every year. This year too, officials had made proposals to set up water kiosks at major locations of the city to cater to the drinking water needs of the people. However, with the election code of conduct coming into force, the VMC has been forced to adopt the wait and watch policy.
This delay led to resentment among people. A fruit vendor on Eluru Road, K Pattabhi Ram said, “The water kiosks that have been set up in the city are unable to cater to our requirements as most of them run dry within days of their inauguration.” The corporation officials should try to streamline the process and ensure that the kiosks are set up by March every year, he added.
Speaking to TNIE on Tuesday, VMC chief engineer P Adiseshu said that District Collector MD Imtiaz recently held a meeting with civic body officials and directed them to prepare a list of places where the kiosks will be set up. A team of officials from the engineering and public health departments conducted a ground-level study and identified 42 locations across the city for this purpose, he said.
The chief engineer also said that the public health department officials have been asked to make the defunct water coolers operational at the earliest. Moreover, plans are afoot to collaborate with voluntary organisations and set up the water kiosks within a week. VMC will be responsible for ensuring the kiosks do not run out of water. It will also allot space to set up the kiosks at strategic locations in the city.