Nilam: GVMC suffers Rs.43-crore damage

Sheelanagar and Ekalavya Colony the worst affected

The total damage suffered in 37 coastal municipalities and corporations in the wake of the cyclone ‘Nilam’ was Rs.174 crore. The civic bodies in north Coastal districts incurred a damage of Rs.71 crore of which Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) accounted for Rs.43 crore.

B. Sam Bob, Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development, who visited the worst-affected Tuni, Payakaraopeta, and Elamanchili said water supply systems and pumping mains were the worst affected as they were submerged in water. However, supply in all municipalities was restored and at Elamanchili it would be done in a day or two.

In GVMC, Sheelanagar and Ekalavya Colony were the worst affected. He said drains to facilitate flow of water to prevent inundation at Sheelanagar would be laid by the next season, Mr. Sam Bob, who is also the Special Officer of GVMC, said. The 45 families living at Ekalavyanagar, a low-lying area, would be accommodated elsewhere by offering houses. Besides, they would also be provided space for their work like weaving baskets etc. On the condition of roads in the city, he said after the season for cyclones ended, work would be taken up and by December restoration would be completed.

On the delay in getting 1.6 acres of land from the Navy, he said the matter was being pursued at the Union Secretary level.

While torrential rain might have solved the water problem in the coastal areas, the inflows into major reservoirs like Nagarjunasagar, Srisailam, Somasila, and Singur had not improved much.

JNNURM II

Mr. Sam Bob said projects worth a total of Rs.20,000 crore would be taken up in the second phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The corporation was preparing detailed project reports. He said some way out must be found to take up the project works in municipalities that had no resources to contribute 30 per cent of the cost.

On the ongoing JNNURM works, he said 60 per cent of works were completed. While in GVMC works were in an advanced stage, in the other areas, for lack of funds works were going on at a sluggish pace. No corporation works came to a halt owing to non-release of funds from the State Government, he asserted.

Municipal Commissioner M.V. Satyanarayana and VUDA Vice-Chairman Kona Sasidhar were present.