Urban News

  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
India Newspapers

GVMC staff on drive to end mosquito menace

Friday, 15 September 2017 11:26 administrator
Print PDF

The Hindu         15.09.2017   

GVMC staff on drive to end mosquito menace

Mosquitoes kill nearly three quarters of a million people each year worldwide and cause sickness in millions more. Malaria alone is responsible for more than half of the mosquito-related deaths, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a recent US Agency for International Development (USAID) report.

Mosquitoes also transmit dengue, lymphatic filariasis, chikungunya and Japanese encephalitis.

This highlights the importance of control and elimination of mosquitoes.

The malaria staff of the Public Health Department of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has taken up fogging in various areas of the city where malaria cases have been reported.

Spraying of oil balls and larvicides was done in 849 identified places to kill the moquioto larvae.

The staff members also educated residents of various slums on the need to keep their surroundings clean and to allow water stagnation, according to A. Hemanth, Chief Medical Officer of GVMC.

It is high time people also realised their responsibility of ensuring there was no water stagnation around their homes.

The water storage containers should be properly covered.

The waste water which collects in the tray behind the refrigerator, the water from the Air Condition outdoor unit and other sources should be regularly emptied at least once a week to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes.

 

BBMP yet to remove bulk of SWD encroachments

Tuesday, 05 September 2017 11:07 administrator
Print PDF

The Hindu       05.09.2017 

BBMP yet to remove bulk of SWD encroachments

People playing at the Begur lake that overflowed following rain for the past few days, in Bengaluru on Sunday.K. MURALI KUMAR  

Of 81 acres identified, civic body has cleared only 11.21 acres that is a mere 13.8%

Over a year has passed since the July 2016 flash floods woke up the civic agencies to start adopting corrective measures. But the encroachment clearance drive that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike soon began has all but been abandoned.

Of the 81 acres identified as encroachments in the 800-km stormwater drain (SWD) network in the city, the BBMP has successfully cleared only 11.21 acres (a mere 13.8%) till date. Of the 1,953 buildings that the civic body had identified as encroachments, only 1,225 buildings have been removed.

“It is apparent why the drive fizzled out. It hit a major roadblock after they found encroachment by Ideal Homes Layout, R.R. Nagar, which had houses of VIPs, and Orion Mall,” pointed out a civic activist.

The BBMP then cited lack of surveyors deputed from the Revenue Department as an excuse to discontinue the clearance drive. The High Court, too, recently issued a set of guidelines for encroachment clearance that is also being used as a reason that slowed down the drive.

It is not just clearance of encroachments that has hit a dead-end. Even other works such as strengthening of stormwater drains and dredging do not have any great progress to boast of, citizens say. Following the recent flooding in Koramangala on Independence Day, Bengaluru Development Minister K.J. George ordered the transfer of the chief engineer of drains in the civic body, against whom even Mayor G. Padmavathi had a litany of complaints for slowing down stormwater drain works. A new chief engineer took charge two weeks ago.

BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad said he would take measures to immediately restart the encroachment clearance drive after the rains cease.

“During my recent visit to HSR Layout and Koramangala, some encroachments causing a reverse flow of water have come to my notice. We will restart the drive soon,” he said.

 

Rs. 800-crore work to be completed by December

Tuesday, 05 September 2017 10:12 administrator
Print PDF

The Hindu          05.09.2017 

Rs. 800-crore work to be completed by December

Delay was because we followed due process: George

As parts of the city drown during the rain, the much-touted Rs. 800-crore work on reinforcing stormwater drains, which was expected to be completed before this monsoon, will now be completed by December. Bengaluru Development Minister K.J. George on Sunday attributed the delay to the time taken to get all approvals under ‘due process’.

RCC drains

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had tendered 408 works to construct reinforced cement concrete (RCC) drains of 192 km at a cost of Rs. 800 crore after the July 2016 floods. On Sunday, BBMP officials admitted that work started as late as May.

Mr. George announced that an additional Rs. 300 crore proposal would be placed before the Cabinet on Monday. Once these works are completed, citizens would not have to worry about the aftermath of rains.

Currently, tenders for 70 works for flood damage correction have been approved under the Chief Minister’s grant.

This includes for repair and construction of drains in areas, which suffered the brunt of rains this year, he said.

On August 5, a review by Mr. George revealed that only 54.66% of the works had begun and just 5.3% had been completed.

Robot excavators

The BBMP has submitted a Rs. 2 crore proposal to get robot multi-purpose excavators for dredging and cleaning of drains. “With the use of such machines, we will be able to complete dredging in vast stretches quickly,” said Mr. Prasad.

 
More Articles...


Page 35 of 4907