The Hindu 30.07.2010
No initiative on environmental awareness
Staff Reporter
Despite fund availability the VMC has not taken up any programme
VIJAYAWADA: The State government issued guidelines long ago.
The required funds were available. And, four officials attended training programmes too.
But, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) could not take up any programme to create awareness about environmental issues.
The VMC proudly talks of the awards it received for best Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management, but a sordid state of affairs apparently prevails in the Corporation.
The State government had asked the urban local bodies to utilise the funds available under Twelfth Finance Corporation to take up awareness programmes related to environment.
As much as Rs. 24 lakh was at the disposal of the Corporation under the Twelfth Finance Corporation.
The Corporation officials, however, have not chalked out a single programme on environmental issues concerning the city, sources say.
An executive engineer (EE) and three assistant medical officers of health underwent training in two spells.
While AMOH B. Sridevi attended the training conducted by the Environment Protection Training and Research Institute (EPTRI) in Hyderabad in February, EE-VII Sriramachandra Murthy and two Ayurvedic doctors working as AMOHs attended training in Visakhaatnam. But, none of them took initiative to organise environmental awareness programmes, sources say.
Neither the higher-ups, who were heading the departments, nor the nodal officers, who went for training, seem to have any clarity on the issue.
The related files keep circulating between engineering and public health wings on MSW management, but no decision has been taken.
Now that the State government a couple of days ago appointed Smitha Bhanu as environmental engineer in the municipal corporation, she is expected to take up the responsibilities of organising workshops, kala jathas and programmes to create awareness among people.
