Alleging that several areas in the city as well as the catchment areas near the tanks in Visakhapatnam district were facing severe water crisis this summer, CPI State assistant secretary J.V. Satyanarayana Murthy (Nani) on Thursday accused the officials of having no contingency plan to deal with the situation.
Seeking building reservoirs for storage of the Godavari water and steps to safeguard tanks and catchment areas from encroachments, Mr. Satyanarayana Murthy wanted the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) to strictly regulate withdrawal of water through borewells.
He alleged that several hospitals, hotels and commercial firms were resorting to overexploitation of depleting groundwater instead of opting for supply of water by GVMC tankers on payment basis.
“The GVMC is able to supply 65 MGD of water when compared to the requirement of 100 MGD. Mudasarlova and Gambheeram reservoirs have gone dry and Gosthani river has stopped getting water infiltration,” he said.
‘Tanks encroached’
He alleged that an estimated 120 tanks in the city had been ‘encroached’ by the government for construction of housing colonies and some others by land sharks. Distribution network was developed for the water scheme launched at a cost of ₹98 crore in 2013, but no new reservoir was built, he pointed out.
Despite lifting of 20 tmcft of water from the Godavari at Purushottapur for supply through Yeleru canal, he said, water woes had aggravated for want of reservoirs and distribution lines.
“The hospitals in the Health City are drawing huge quantity of groundwater through borewells. After several complaints, the GVMC has seized some of the borewells. Now, the civic body should launch a crackdown on the firms including private water plants and soft drink manufacturing units for drawing groundwater illegally,” he said.
Mr. Satyanarayana urged the district administration and the GVMC to initiate measure for restoration of Yerra Cheruvu in Pendurthi, Rayalu Cheruvu in Kurmannapalem and the tanks in other areas.
