For most residents of new extension areas such as L.R. Colony, Vyasya Bank Colony, K.V.P. Colony, and I.P.D. Colony, the wait for water continues even in the scorching heat of May. The ordeal seems endless for the residents throughout the year, but gets severe during summer. The city has only 76 million litres per day of water as against the requirement ranging between 90 MLD and 120 MLD.
“We get drinking water for just half an hour from the only public tap in this colony. Not a day passes without the scramble for a vessel of water,” rues Jyothi of Anandapet. For a growing city, languishing from the lack of a perennial source of water, summer is a testing time.
The city normally draws water from the Guntur Channel. In summer, it draws water from the Prakasam Barrage through a 30-year-old pipeline through Mangalagiri, from which water is pumped to feed the 45 MLD filtration plant at Takkelapadu.
This apart, 27 MLD is drawn from the summer storage tank at Sangam Jagarlamudi and 4 MLD from the Vengalayapalem reservoir.
The over dependence on electric power, with its shortcomings in the form of electrical short circuits and tripping of high-power motors, causes problems. Frequent leakages in raw water pipeline too adds to the woes.
Rapid growth
The rapid growth of extension colonies on all sides of the city has put enormous pressure on water supply, forcing residents to depend entirely on tankers. For people living on relatively higher planes such as Gujjangundla, continuous water supply has turned a dream.
The Over Head Service Reservoir gets the supply at the end of a chain of reservoirs.
The Guntur Municipal Corporation has put in place a summer action plan to tackle the crisis.
The main features of the plan are, taking up pump and motor repairs at the High Level Reservoir and at various reservoirs, carrying out repairs at Sangam Jagarlamudi, repair works at Takkelapadu filtration plant at a cost of Rs. 44 lakh, making available spares and parts of motors in case of emergency, decentralisation of tankers and borewell material distribution.
Water is being supplied through tankers in the areas gripped by water crisis.
Comprehensive project
“The GMC has taken up works at a cost of Rs. 3 crore as part of the summer action plan. We are doing our best to ensure continuous and quality water supply to all parts of the town.
There are a few colonies in the extension areas that deserve a long-term plan. The Comprehensive Drinking Water Project, which will be grounded in three years, will address all problems,” Municipal Commissioner K. Sudhakar said. The Commissioner on Tuesday released helpline numbers for people to contact in case of an emergency. The following is the list of ELSRs and contact numbers: Stambalagaruvu — 9704501601/9704501602; LLR — 9704501632; HLR — 08632230745/9849908397; Gujjanagundla — 9704501604; Court compound — 9704501625/9704501626; AT Agraharam — 9701700171; Nehru Nagar — 9849908399; Hanumaiah Nagar — 9704501619; Sarada Colony — 9704501621/9704501620; BR Stadium — 9849908405; Nalla Cheruvu — 9704501644 to 47; and HB Reservoir — 9000002107.
