Visakhapatnam: With the trouble for water increasing in the city, the GVMC authorities stepped up efforts to arrest the crisis. As part of the “Summer Action Plan”, the civic body has decided to spend an additional Rs 7.66 crore to prevent the water woes during summer months.
Besides proposing about 254 new borewells in various parts of the city, the GVMC would also take up repairs of the existing hand borewells and pipeline network with about Rs 2 crore.
The Yeleru canal, which meets the majority of the water needs of the city, had reached the dead storage level and the GVMC officials had started pumping water into the canal from Yeleswaram reservoir in January. As a consequence of decreased flow into the canal, the duration of water supply has been decreased in some areas of the city. A GVMC official informed that they prepared a contingency plan which costs the civic body about Rs 7.6 crore.
“Water to the areas, which are more prone to water scarcity, would be supplied by tankers and we had allotted about 254 borewells to these places. Flushing of the existing hand borewells, installation, repairs, pipeline maintenance works and other miscellaneous works would also be undertaken. The hilly areas and water scarce areas are on our priority list. Removal of weeds and shoals has been taken up to improve the velocity flow and reduce the seeping losses in the Yeleru canal,” he added.
However, curbing the water loss by controlling leakages and pipe bursts has become a big challenge for the local civic body, GVMC, as the pipeline network was laid many decades ago in various areas of the city. The GVMC officials are putting in efforts to provide water to every resident in the city.
Resolve issues at the earliest: GVMC
Officials should take all measures to ensure uninterrupted water supply during the summer months, said GVMC commissioner Pravin Kumar. On Wednesday, Mr. Kumar conducted a review meeting with the GVMC officials regarding the water crisis in Vizag city.
Mr. Kumar directed them to pay special attention to the complaints about water supply and resolve them at the earliest possible. Superintending Engineer (WS) Ananda Rao, DEs and AEs were present. Health assistant suspended
GVMC commissioner Pravin Kumar suspended in-charge health assistant of the 37th Ward, B. Naveen, for alleged irregularities in registering a death case.
On the occasion, Mr. Pravin Kumar asked the people in the city to register the deaths and births in Vizag city only.
