GUNTUR: When the skies finally opened up in Guntur on Friday, they were welcome as they meant an adieu to scorching summer and sweltering heat that seared the denizens all these days.
But soon, the relief turned into new worry as clogged drains and rain water runoff flooded the roads and submerged low-lying areas. With more rains predicted, the denizens are worried as the Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) is yet to streamline the drains.
Clogged drains, pot-holed roads, unfinished drainage system, half-filed trenches fade life difficult as it rained. The delay in completing the Rs 530-crore underground drainage system has only added to the woes of the people. Peak summer storms too have exposed this dire vulnerability in the low-lying areas of the city. Though, the GMC took up the monsoon action plan to de-silt the existing drains, it wasn’t simply adequate.
“It has become common to suffer submergence in low-lying areas. Even small rain can cause knee-deep water stagnation,” said Ramana Rao of Swarnabharath Nagar. Localities like Swarnabharath Nagar, Old Guntur, Nandivelugu Road, Chandrababu Naidu Colony on Ponnur Road are among the worst-affected areas.
According to a GMC official, there are 120 notified and 50 non-notified slums in the city. All these are flood prone. He said ongoing integrated drinking water project, road widening for upcoming Pushkarams, are damaging the existing roads. These repairs will take lot of time. The citizens may have to endure pot-holed surfaces for few more months,” he said.
Woes of Guntur
It has become common to suffer submergence in low-lying areas. Even small rain can cause knee-deep water stagnation. Ramana Rao, Swarnabharath Nagar.