Locals complain of slow underground drainage works by Vijayawada Municipal Corporation
VIJAYAWADA: The slow pace of work by Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) in constructing the underground drainage (UGD) system is causing severe inconvenience to locals. The VMC had announced the ambitious UGD project in 2007, prior to the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme. But due to severe fund crunch, the municipal corporation authorities commenced the UGD project in 59 divisions of the city in 2009.
Almost 14 years later, the works are still under progress and the civic body has even failed to augment revenue through drainage tax. The inordinate delay has invited sharp criticism from residents of various localities. In most of the areas, the trunk mains remain unfinished.
There also hasn’t been much progress in the construction of branch lines for sumps, linking of internal lines with the houses. Around Rs 58 crore was allocated by the VMC for the execution of UGD works in the West constituency of the city.
According to the statistics available with VMC officials, the city has 3.16 lakh dwellings. Of these, 2.6 lakh are under revenue assessments. So far 82,000 UGD connections have been given to residents by the civic body. According to the plan, an 800 kilometre long UGD network had to be installed in the city. Of this, only 387 kilometres of the network has been covered constructed so far. Construction of the remaining 412 kilometres of the network is yet to be executed.
Around Rs 360 crore was spent for developing the UGD network in the city, of which, Rs 271 crore was funded by JNNURM scheme, Rs 39.88 crore from Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation scheme, Rs 20 crore from the 14th Finance Commission and Rs 28.67 crore from VMC funds.
“Around 81,000 UGD connections are yet to be developed in the city. Due to various reasons, including the pandemic, UGD works are being carried out at a slow pace in various parts of the city. Instructions were given to the inspectors at the division level to speed up the works and complete them at the earliest. Once the underground drainage connection is facilitated to all the residents, the city will get rid of mosquito menace and the civic body can augment revenue through collecting drainage tax,” said a senior official of VMC on condition of anonymity.