The Hindu 14.06.2013
Pollution threat to borewells near stormwater drains
Stormwater drains criss-cross the city and some
residents live close to them. The drains get choked because of
encroachments and throwing of garbage and debris into them. This leads
to stagnation of water and raises, justifiably, fears of water
pollution.
The stormwater drain that originates at
the AU Engineering hostels runs parallel to the National Highway, close
to Pithapuram Colony. On its southern side a number of encroachments
have come up and lot of garbage, including plastic, is dumped into it,
says a resident, G.M. Rama Rao.
This is leading to
stagnation of water and he is apprehensive that it would percolate into
the groundwater polluting it. The problem had been taken to the notice
of the municipal corporation and commissioners for nearly a decade now
to no avail, he points out.
The city has stormwater
drains criss-crossing for a total of 108 km. They comprise SL Canal,
Yerrigedda and branches of Gangulagedda and Yerrigedda. The three of
them have been taken up under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal
Mission.
“On the three works so far Rs.78 crore has
been spent and that includes lining for 12 km,” GVMC Chief Engineer B.
Jayarami Reddy said when contacted. In areas close to the stormwater
drains, if the casing of the borewell does not go beyond bottom level of
the drain or if the pipeline is not joined properly, water pollution
cannot be ruled out, he admits.
Lining for the entire
length has been proposed at a whopping Rs.1,400 crore but major parts
of the city can be covered with a cost of Rs.200 crore, he says.
Water
of borewells is analysed at Andhra Medical College and if there are any
fears about pollution residents can approach the college laboratory for
the analysis.
Many encroachments have come up south of a stormwater drain near Pithapuram Colony G.M. Rama Rao Resident.
