Citizens who had to put up with the ordeal of driving on pot-holed roads dug to undertake the Under Ground Drainage (UGD) scheme, will finally have a reason to be happy. The contracting agency and the Public Health Department have begun restoration of CC roads at SVN Colony where the first phase of the work began in January 2017.
“Restoration work on a stretch of 25 km at SVN Colony will be completed soon. The Guntur Municipal Corporation is monitoring the work on a daily basis. The Superintending Engineer, Public Health, is furnishing weekly report on the work status,’’ Municipal Commissioner Srikesh B. Latkar told The Hindu on Tuesday.
The restoration of roads has been taken up in areas where pipelines have been laid and connected to the inspection chambers. The agency plans to complete the works before the onset of monsoon.
The GMC will take up restoration works on BT roads drawing funds from the critical infrastructure fund and the Roads and Buildings Department will take up works on State highways connecting the city.
Of the total cost pegged at ₹767 crore, ₹63 crore has been allocated for restoration, ₹120 crore for setting up of Sewerage Treatment Plants (STP) and ₹108 crore for laying sewer lines.
The grounding of the UGD scheme, which was part of the Essential Urban Infrastructure scheme of the Union Ministry of Urban Development, has been beset with problems from the beginning. Nearly two years after the Centre sanctioned a one-time financial assistance of ₹540 crore to the GMC and ₹460 crore to the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation for taking up a Storm Water Drainage project, work finally began in January 2017 by Shapoorji Pallonji, which along with L&T undertook construction of the Interim Government Complex at Velagapudi.
Residents protest
The agency, which began the works at SVN Colony, had simultaneously started digging roads and laying sewer pipelines at several places sparking protests from citizens. Public fury reached a crescendo during the rainy season when residents locked up the office. Collector and Special Officer Kona Sasidhar then began reviewing the works daily infusing some sense of urgency in the contracting agency. The scheme has been designed to cover a population of 12.99 lakh spread across 83.70 square km.
