Corporators from various divisions have questioned the GHMC officials on the delay in nala desilting works and as to why the nala widening project remained a non-starter, at the GHMC General Body meeting here on Wednesday. Four questions listed for discussion in the meeting were about desilting and encroachment removal.
The questions were about the summer action plan for desilting of storm water drains, to counter overflowing during monsoons, and the progress of nala widening project.
Some have complained that the silt was not being removed from the banks of the nalas due to which it is flowing back into the nala during the sporadic summer rains.
Chief Engineer Mohammed Ziauddin said that the desilting work pace had improved compared to previous year. As of now, 35% of the work was done and 1.85 lakh cubic meters of silt has been removed. He said payments are based on the silt deposited in the Jawaharnagar dump yard. Further, social audits are being conducted to ascertain the quality of works.
Chief City Planner S. Devender Reddy said, of the 840 structures scheduled for demolition in 47 critical bottlenecks, a total of 357 structures have been demolished so far. Even three to four-storey buildings have been identified in Fox Sagar nala, the residents of which remained unenthused by the offer of 2BHK housing. The properties will be acquired through Land Acquisition Act.
A couple of corporators complained about online booking of GHMC grounds, which had resulted in strangers entering the localities. Commissioner B. Janardhan Reddy, in his reply, said the city had 526 GHMC grounds, and before online registrations were introduced, not even 20 were being used, even while school children suffered due to lack of playgrounds. The online booking has resolved the problem and the grounds are being put to 24-hour use.
Many corporators raised objections about the transfers of SFAs , which the Mayor Bonthu Ram Mohan brushed aside, saying that transfers, for employees, were common service procedure.
The General Body unanimously approved the complete ban on production, supply and sale of plastic items less than 50 microns in thickness.
