VIJAYAWADA: Soon the canal bunds of Budameru also known as the ‘Sorrow of Vijayawada’ will get a facelift as the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has taken up an initiative for the improvement and beautification of greenery adjacent to the canal bund and make it accessible to the public.
As per Corporation records, the 37-km long canal starts from Mylavaram, flows through Vijayawada and ends near Ventrapragada village in the district. Over the years, the canal’s channel passing through approximately 11 km within city limits, has been posing a serious threat to the residents of Bhavanipuram, Singh Nagar, Ayodhya Nagar, Payakapuram, Madhura Nagar and Kanaka Durga Nagar during monsoon due to increase in water levels.
In an attempt to prevent residents living in and around the Budameru canal from dumping garbage in it, the civic body has planned to beautify the entire stretch of the water body passing through the city. The decision was taken after repeated appeals to residents of the localities to keep the canal clean fell on deaf ears. Works in this regard commenced recently as the Corporation has procured machinery worth `45 lakh to remove the piled up wastes in the canal, officials sources informed.
“We have decided to renovate and beautify Budameru canal on the lines of greenery developed adjacent to Bandar and Eluru canal bunds in the city. The project is being carried out at an estimated cost of `3 crore. A consultant will be appointed after examining the measures proposed for the beautification project,’’ VMC executive engineer V Chandrasekhar said to TNIE.
He further said that canal cleaning process is expected to be completed in a couple of months from now. Apart from cleaning the clogged canal, we will put up an iron fence on its banks and the entire stretch will be illuminated with lights and made accessible to the public, he added.