Comprehensive Plan To Ensure Drinking Water For Guntur
Providing an integrated and sustainable water supply system to Guntur was a major promise made before the elections and this remained a priority of the government: Pemmasani Chandrasekhar
VIJAYAWADA: In an attempt at ensuring permanent and safe drinking water supply for Guntur city and its surrounding merged areas, the state government has embarked on a comprehensive action plan.
Union minister of state for rural development and communications Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, along with Guntur West MLA Galla Madhavi, laid the foundation on Sunday for Elevated Level Service Reservoirs (ELSRs) at AT Agraharam and Udyoga Nagar, besides an urban primary health centre at MG) Colony in Guntur city.
Chandrasekhar said, providing an integrated and sustainable water supply system to Guntur was a major promise made before the elections and this remained a priority of the government.
He said the elevated storage tanks constructed nearly three decades ago in the city’s peripheral areas had fallen into a dilapidated condition, posing serious public health risks.
“To address this, a comprehensive plan with an outlay of ₹35 crore has been prepared for the reconstruction of seven old storage tanks. Today, we have laid the stone for tanks at AT Agraharam and Udyoga Nagar. Next week, works for the BR Stadium tank will commence, while tenders for the remaining tanks will be finalised shortly,” he said.
To further strengthen water supply, the minister announced the upgradation of a high-capacity pumping system at Undavalli with 600 HP capacity at a cost of ₹3.28 crore. He said an urban primary health centre would be constructed with ₹1 crore earmarked under the 15th finance commission funds.
Highlighting long-term planning, Chandrasekhar noted that chief minister Chandrababu Naidu had approved a ₹370-crore project under the AMRUT scheme to bring Krishna River water directly to Guntur, providing a robust backup for the next 50 to 100 years.
Significantly, the union minister said all these works were being taken up using GMC general funds.
Expressing confidence in the leadership of Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan, the minister said contractors were proactively coming forward, while coordinated efforts by officials had resulted in the implementation of works worth nearly ₹500 crore related to roads, drainage and water systems that are currently under way in Guntur.
Guntur mayor Kovelamudi Nani, GMC commissioner Puli Srinivasulu, corporators and senior officials attended the programme
