Indian Express 05.08.2010
Oppn fumes as VMC’s Rs 250-crore drainage project fails to deliver
hitarthpandya Tags : corporation, stormwater link project Posted: Thu Aug 05 2010, 02:26 hrs
Vadodara: The much-hyped stormwater link project of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has failed to serve the purpose as city streets remain waterlogged after heavy rains.Despite tall claims, the civic body has not done much about the channels, which helps in draining out the rainwater during monsoon. Due to the failure, major areas and roads in Vadodara are witnessing major waterlogging.
While the Opposition leaders are up in arms against the failure of the Rs 250-crore project, top BJP leaders are busy passing the buck. “We have been demanding action against those who have designed the channel. The VMC does not even have the hydrological map of the city, which is must before taking up such a huge project, which costs around Rs 250 crore,” said Opposition leader Chirag Zaveri.
A senior BJP leader, requesting anonymity, said: “It was necessary for us to initiate the project otherwise it would have affected our
image. Knowing that the city witnesses waterlogging in most parts, it is not easy to control the situation when it is raining so heavily.”
Congress leaders alleged that many stormwater drains in the city are still wide open without a fence. VMC officials had promised two years ago that all the drains will
be fenced to prevent mishaps of commuters and pedestrians falling into them.
Congress leader Chandrakant Shrivastava said: “Even a layman would say that it is important to cover a six-foot channel to avoid the accidents. Last monsoon, there were numbers of similar accidents. But the civic body has done nothing to avert such mishaps.”
“We had publicised this project to portray a positive image of the party among the voters. But it is not easy to control the situation,” said a BJP functionary, who requested anonymity.
