Pedda Cheruvu (sewage water tank) spread over an area of 162 acres between railway station and the fort in the heart of town is an eyesore for visitors. The three-centuries-old tank is a breeding ground for mosquitoes which spread several diseases including filariasis.
To save people from vector-borne diseases, Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority used eco-friendly technology to treat the sewage water at a cost of Rs. 2.10 crore and completed the project by mid-2004. It handed over maintenance of the tank to local municipality. All went well for three years. Officials’ apathy to plug a small breach in one of the interceptor sewers has completely spoiled the eco-friendly sewage treatment plant. Gradually, the major fine screens to filter coconut shells and plastic were vandalized. It has now become a dumping ground for traders. All the public money pumped into it has been wasted.
Simple processThe technology adopted by VUDA here was stated to be the first of its kind in the State. VUDA dug eight smaller ponds each parallel to one another in an extent of 12 acres within the tank bed. There is no plant and machinery involved for water treatment. It used coarse screens at the mouth of sewage main drains to remove coconut shells, plastic material, other wastage and allowed water again to pass through fine screens to filter any non-organic matter. The process is very simple, and about five million litres of water is treated every day. VUDA developed parks in the space between each tank and on the side of Rama Naidu Road for the benefit of locals. The equipment, seating arrangements, and railings developed in the parks have been vandalized and the tank has fallen on bad times once again.
