The Hindu 25.08.2010
GMC meet gives nod for 24X7 water scheme
Staff Reporter
| Council resolves to implement pilot project in select areas |
Council agrees for minor changes in the metered water charges
Rs. 69.55 lakhs sanctioned for procuring 235 tricycles as part of sanitation drive
—Photo: T. Vijaya Kumar 
WAR OF WORDs: Congress and TDP councillors arguing with each other at the general body meeting of GMC held on Tuesday.
GUNTUR: The general body meeting of the Guntur Municipal Corporation created history on Tuesday as it resolved to implement a pilot project which would provide 24X7 water supply in select areas. The GMC is set to become the first civic body in the State to implement 24X7 water supply. At the end of a marathon debate which lasted till 10 p.m., Mayor Rayapati Mohana Sai Krishna gave the nod for introducing the pilot scheme. With the Telugu Desam corporators holding on to their protests against the proposed levying of metered water charges, the council agreed for minor changes in the pricing.
The GMC will now levy Rs.4 for water usage up to 30 kilo litre, while the actual proposal was to levy Rs.4 for water usage below 20 kilo litre, while the water charges for usage above 30 kilo litre is fixed at Rs.6.
The proposed water charges would be levied only after the GMC completes the laying of pipelines and meters.
Municipal Commissioner K. Ilambarithi was a relieved man at the end of the day. Dr. Ilambarithi, who lapped up the idea to supply water 24X7 after visiting Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, did put in a lot of effort and used his persuasion skills to bring all the floor leaders on board.
The Council also resolved to sanction Rs.69.55 lakh towards procuring 235 tricycles as part of sanitation drive. The decision seemed baffling as earlier in the day, the Commissioner admitted on the floor of the House that the tricycle system used in door-to-door collection of solid waste was a failure.
Fish market
The Council gave its nod to set up a fish market at Koretipadu with assistance from National Fisheries Development Board, out source operation and maintenance of street lighting system to MIC, Electronics, Hyderabad and implement SCADA water regulatory system.
Earlier, raising the issue of water shortage at the meeting, Guntur East MLA Sk. Mastan Vali said the GMC has failed to ensure equitable distribution of water to all households, including many in One Town. Clarifying on the issue, the Commissioner said the city did not have an effective water distribution network. He assured that a slew of innovative measures to be taken up in 6-8 months, would ensure equitable and pressurised supply of water. The GMC would make use of hydraulic model incorporated in the Service Level Benchmarking (SLB) project. Rationalisation had already begun from Nallacheruvu area, he said.
