The Hindu     04.09.2014   

GHMC’s shoddy work irks water board

Heavy rainfall in the past one week has allayed fears of not having enough drinking water among officials of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB), but it has left them displeased with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) for the way they dealt with the overflowing rainwater in the city.

A senior HMWSSB official, on condition of anonymity, pointed out that every time it rains heavily, GHMC workers open manholes so that water does not remain on roads. “On doing that, the surplus rainwater then fills up the sewerage, due to which backwater levels increase and enter homes,” he lamented.

The official said that it was the duty of the civic body to maintain storm-water drains across the city that are supposed to contain excess or overflowing water. “Our nalas are being used as storm-water drains, even though they are present at several places in the core areas of the city,” he explained.

The civic body’s action, said the HMWSSB official, was due to improper maintenance of the storm-water drains. “I understand that it takes a lot of money to complete the task in the entire city, but it’s their responsibility to maintain the functioning of the drains so that water does not overflow on the streets,” he said.

The official, however, was happy with the fact that heavy rainfall increased the current water levels in the Himayatsagar and Osmansagar reservoirs, which he said would at least last till next March. As on Wednesday, the water level in the Himayatsagar reservoir reached 1754.700 feet, against its full reservoir level (FTL) of 1,763.500 feet. The Osmansagar reservoir has water up to 1,771.700 feet.

The Hindu        04.09.2014

VMC will accord top priority to sanitation: Hari Kiran

Vijayawada Municipal Commissioner C. Hari Kiran handing over wheelbarrows to sanitation workers in Vijayawada on Wednesday.- PHOTO: V. RAJU

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) will accord top priority to sanitation in the city, said Commissioner C. Hari Kiran here on Wednesday.

“Sanitation is a basic service, and the corporation will leave no stone unturned in improving sanitation in the city,” Mr. Kiran said after distributing six tricycles and 10 wheelbarrows to workers at a function here.

The tricycles and wheelbarrows were donated by Anu Hospital chairman G. Ramesh as part of the corporate social responsibility initiative of the hospital. Mr. Kiran said improving sanitation was not only the responsibility of the municipal corporation but also corporate companies. “There are several companies which can help in taking measures to ensure better sanitation,” he added.

The corporation will soon release dues to residential associations that take up sanitation in their respective colonies by hiring workers.

“The dues have been pending for the last 18 months. We will release them in a week,” he said.

The VMC is also planning to send proposals to the government on setting up a sewage treatment plant. As many as 10 companies have approached the corporation and evinced interest in setting up the plant to generate electricity using wet and dry waste, the VMC chief said. The plant will require at least 18 acres of land.

Three places have been identified for establishing the new facility. “We are sending proposals to the government. It will take eight months for grounding the project after getting the government’s nod,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Anu Hospital chairman G. Ramesh said poor sanitation would result in the spread of communicable diseases and cautioned people to maintain proper sanitation.