Urban News

The Hindu  04.10.2010

Expert suggests underwater video recording at 10 MGD plant

Staff Reporter

Four-member technical team scheduled to visit the city on October 7

VIJAYAWADA: The collection well of the 10-MGD water treatment plant Ramaligeswara Nagar sank nearly a fortnight ago. Though many theories, including sand blowout, have been in circulation as reasons for the sinking of the well, none has been established so far.

S.R. Gandhi, an expert from IIT Madras, inspected the plant a couple of days ago. His “preliminary observations” assume significance in the wake of apprehensions that there is a possibility of failure of ‘ceiling concrete'. Prof. Gandhi did, indeed, feel that “ceiling concrete might have failed.” But, it could be conclusively established only after further studies, he told the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) officials and suggested that they bail out the silt accumulated in the well.

He, however, cautioned them against pumping out the entire water and emptying the well, VMC sources say. Interestingly, there were theories that the collection well would sink further if it was emptied totally as sand already blew out. The water that collected in the well was preventing further blowing out of sand.

Prof. Gandhi asked the engineers to record the situation in the well using underwater video cameras. The footage obtained thus would provide a better picture of the condition inside the well. Based on the footage, he would make necessary suggestions. The VMC received similar suggestions from the Engineer-in-Chief, Hyderabad, the sources say.

The officials are now on the lookout for an underwater video cameraman.

The VMC sources say that Prof. Gandhi gave some information about the agencies based at Chennai that carry out underwater video recording.

The Corporation would hire their services in a day or two so that the footage became useful to the four-member technical team constituted by the State government scheduled to visit the city on October 7.

The Corporation officials were in a bind trying to fix the problem. Initially, the officials elevated the motors at the collection well to restore water supply temporarily after sand entered it. Their efforts proved futile, as they could not pump water from the well. The 180-HP motors used in the plant created tremors in the vicinity and pumped out sand along with water.

The Hindu  27.09.2010

STP inaugurated, industries to use treated water

Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM: Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister Anam Ramanarayan Reddy on Sunday inaugurated a sewage treatment plant of 38 million litres per day (mld) capacity constructed at a cost of Rs.37.08 crore in Ward 26 of the One Town area.

The plant treats 12 mld as of now covering a population of 1.61 lakh living in Wards 9 to 19. The full capacity is projected to be utilised in 2040 when 38 mld is expected to be generated.

The STP was constructed under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission in which the Central and State Governments contribute 50 per cent and 20 per cent of the cost respectively and the GVMC the remaining 30 per cent.

Addressing a meeting, the minister said to make the city slum-free under Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) a Rs.25,000 crore plan was prepared in which 7,460 slums would be improved constructing houses and creating other amenities.

Second phase

Under the second phase of JNNURM, a plan for spending Rs.7,132 crore in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati was submitted to the Central Government.

Mr. Ramanarayan Reddy said that he would discuss with the port officials the pollution problem and also take steps to get the municipal stadium vacated by the CRPF.

Cheque given away

He gave away a cheque for Rs.10.13 lakh towards bank linkage to 712 women self-help groups.

Essar Steel Limited presented a cheque for Rs.1.26 lakh for using the water treated at the STP.

Tribal Welfare Minister P. Balaraju assured that steps would be taken to improve drains and prevent flooding of low-lying areas.

Mayor Pulusu Janardhana Rao said Essar Steel would utilise 3.6 mld of treated water paying Rs.2 per litre resulting a revenue of Rs.2.16 lakh a month to the corporation. The Visakhapatnam Port Trust has also requisitioned for 7 mld of treated water.

Municipal Commissioner V.N. Vishnu, MLAs Dronamraju Srinivasa Rao, Malla Vijay Prasad, Tyanala Vijay Kumar, Engineer-in-Chief (Public Health) K.Chandrasekhar, GVMC Chief Engineer B. Jayarama Reddy, Superintendent Engineers C.G.K. Raju, T. Moses Kumar and Y. Simon Raju and corporators P. Varalakshmi, G. Gowri, P. Jyothi, M.Paiditalli and Co-opted member Y. Hemalata participated.