Urban News

The Hindu 12.11.2009

Mayor claims credit for water scheme

Staff Reporter

GUNTUR: After a brief lull, the war of words between the two powerful Congress groups headed by Major Industries Minister Kanna Lakshmi Narayana and Guntur MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao has begun.

What stoked the storm this time was the administrative sanction given to the comprehensive drinking water project at an estimated cost of Rs.147 crores.

Mayor Rayapati Mohana Sai Krishna claimed the entire credit for the sanctioning of the scheme, while the Minister has been asserting that it was he who gave the final push to the project.

The Mayor on Wednesday shot off a series of questions giving details of the process involved in the preparation of the project. The Mayor said that after he had taken over from Mr. Nagaraju, the Detailed Project Reports of the water scheme, UGD and the stormwater drainage had not yet been prepared.

“I noticed a window of opportunity in the World Bank funded projects and strived to include the project in the WB project for selected Urban Local Bodies in the State,” he asserted. He also said that he had included the project cost in the annual budget 2009-2010. The World Bank gave in-principle nod for the project when its representative came to Hyderabad on May 5.

With Mr. Kanna Lakshminarayana, who represents Guntur-West constituency, eyeing a major pie in the selection of candidates in the polls, the Congress was expected to be embroiled in a stormy tussle.

It was expected to intensify with the elections to the Guntur Municipal Corporation slated to be held in 2010. The Minister on the other hand is expected to give his version on Thursday when he returns from Hyderabad.

Indian Express 11.11.2009

Manimajra to get 12-hr water supply

Earlier, residents were getting six-hour tubewell supply of three hours each in morning and evening

The residents of Manimajra have a reason to cheer. To help tide over water crisis in this part of the city, the canal water scheme was inaugurated by Mayor Kamlesh at the Modern Housing Complex water works in Manimajra on Tuesday.With the new scheme in place, the residents of Manimajtra will get 12-hour uninterrupted water supply.

Earlier, the residents were getting six-hour tubewell supply with three hours each in morning and evening. With a large number of tubewells in the area becoming defunct, there was a shortage of water during the summer.

Speaking on the occasion, Mayor Kamlesh said potable water was a long-pending demand of the residents of the area. “Owing to the collective efforts of the public and the Municipal Corporation, we have been able to complete the project,”she said

This scheme, which was planned in three phases, will supply 5 million gallons per day (MGD) water to Manimajra.

In October 2006, Rs 561.52 lakh was approved to lay a pipeline from the Sector-26 Grain Market chowk to water works-I in Manimajra. This included Rs 97.13 lakh paid to the Railways to lay a pipeline under a rail track.

Chief Engineer S K Bansal said the work was allotted in August 2007 and the work in the jurisdiction of the MC was completed in June 2008. “But the Railways took about a year to execute the work under the railway track,” he said.

Area councillor Gurcharan Dass Kalaa, meanwhile, said, “The residents had suffered a lot during summer. The scheme will bring much-needed relief to the residents.”

Councillors Sunita Chaudhary and Manjit Chauhan along with Assistant Commissioner Kamlesh Kumar, Chief Engineer S K Bansal, former Mayor Surinder Singh and other officers were also present on the occasion.