The upgrade of the city into a municipal corporation three years ago to ensure infrastructure to cater for increasing population appears to have yielded a little result as availability of adequate basic civic amenities like drinking water, roads and garbage disposal system still remain a far cry.
Daily drinking water supply is yet to be realise, so does a permanent solution to environment-friendly waste disposal system owing to lack of a dumping yard in the city, with a population of more than 2.7 lakh, apart from a floating population of another 60,000 per day.
Burning of garbage on the margins of Chennai-Kolkata highway poses a serious problem, points out Forum for Good Governance president Alla Venkateswara Rao. Even smaller towns like Sathanapalli and Narasaraopet have made a good beginning in becoming ‘Swachch’ towns, but not Ongole, he adds.
Widening of Kurnool road and other arterial roads as per the master plan is yet to gather pace for various reasons in Ongole, where only skeleton city bus services have been introduced in view of narrow lanes and bylanes, Ongole Town Development Committee president Marella Subba Rao rues.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s announcement to develop major cities in 13 districts into smart ones raised hopes of early solution to persistent civic problems in Ongole, says Ongole Town Development Committee secretary Baktha Singh Raju, adding much to the disappointment, the city did not figure in the list of cities shortlisted by the Centre.
Even now, water is being supplied to more than 30 slums through tankers. The city which gets water replenishment from Krishna river is not in a position to ensure daily drinking water owing to non-completion all Elevated Level Service Reservoirs(ELSRs), says CPI city Sectetary U.Prakasha Rao. “Seven more ELSRs should be constructed to cover the colonies on the city outskirts,” adds All India Trade Union Congress district President Sk.Sardar.
Govt. is determined to improve civic infrastructure at a cost of Rs. 1,500 crore in phases
D. Janardhana Rao,TDP MLA
