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.