GUNTUR: Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister P Narayana laid the foundation stone for development works worth Rs 32.10 crore in Ponnur municipality on Friday alongside local MLA Dhulipalla Narendra Kumar, highlighting the state government’s ongoing capital allocation of Rs 126.28 crore toward local urban infrastructure.
Addressing the gathering after offering floral tributes at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Ponnur, he specified that Rs 22.10 crore under AMRUT 2.0 has been earmarked for drinking water supply systems and the restoration of Nagula Cheruvu, while Rs 10 crore from CRDA funds will be deployed for CC roads and urban greening.
Additionally, Rs 28 crore has been sanctioned for Ponnur under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM), backed by UCF and UIDF funds dedicated to upgrading the town’s drainage network.
Addressing criticism regarding capital construction, the Minister clarified that Amaravati’s flood control infrastructure is being engineered in collaboration with experts from the Netherlands based on historical hydrological data spanning the past 200 years.
He stated that the integrated system, centred around the Kondaveeti Vagu, Pala Vagu, and canal networks, includes high-capacity pumping stations designed to discharge 22,500 cusecs of rainwater, ensuring the capital remains flood-resilient upon project completion.
He urged the public not to heed speculative reports regarding rainwater retention in active trench zones, affirming that infrastructure works for water supply, roads, and storm-water management are progressing across urban sectors.
