Heavy rain, boggy ground and resulting mess are playing havoc with the State government’s prestigious secretariat construction and pushkaram works, which are expected to be completed by June and July respectively.
The State government’s self-imposed June 15 deadline for the completion of Secretariat work may have to be extended given the heavy rains which are hampering the major part of the work past couple of days, according to a government official based out of Mandadam village which borders the secretariat complex.
On Saturday, 11 days ahead of the deadline, bare minimum staff has been deployed at the site according to workers. “The work has slowed down as the muddy ground is restricting the movement of work, vehicles and people here,” said a worker at the complex site in Velagapudi.
The Heritage Parlour of Amaravati Secretariat Canteen, which is the common meeting point for over 3,000 workers and officials at the complex site, was also closed down due to flooding and wore a deserted look. Many of the workers are seen whiling away in and around their temporary asbestos living spaces (sheds) near the secretariat site.
However, as of Friday, the government was confident of meeting the June 15 deadline within which the construction, wiring and furniture work of the complex are expected to be completed by Shapoorji Pallonji, L&T and a couple of players, who are yet to be identified to take up minor works.
On the other side, the secretariat employees, who are expected to shift from Hyderabad to Amaravati by June 27 as per a government order, are not too sure of the completion of the work.
This apart, the Krishna pushkaram ghat works on the banks of river Krishna near Vijayawada and surrounding places are also in the initial stages. The supervisors associated with the work are of the opinion that rainy days may cause substantial delay. “The 12-day Krishna pushkaram begins on August 12, but most of the ghat work is in the initial stages. The rainy days, which have already begun, are likely to delay the work,” said a supervisor at a pushkar ghat in Vijayawada.
The State government is making elaborate arrangements, which include over 170 pushkar bathing ghats with a budget of Rs 27 crore. Over 5.4 crore people are estimated to be taking holy dip during pushkarams this year.
Besides, the unfinished Kanakadurga flyover near Prakasam Barrage will be another impediment in controlling crowds and ensuring safety according to denizens who are well versed with the topography of Vijayawada.
