The Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) will soon commence work on an underground drainage system (UGD), which will meet the requirements of the city for the next 100 years. The UGD scheme is part of the essential urban infrastructure project for the capital region.
Municipal Commissioner K. Kanna Babu on Tuesday said the Union Ministry of Urban Development had agreed to provide a one-time financial grant of Rs. 540 crore to build the UGD system for the city. The Centre has also offered a similar one-time grant of Rs. 460 crore to the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) for building a storm water drainage system in Vijayawada.
“The GMC is thankful to the efforts of Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Municipal Administration Minister P. Narayana for their efforts to get the Centre’s sanction for the project,” Mr. Babu added.
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“The UGD scheme is one of the essential prerequisites for faster urban growth,” Mr. Babu said, adding that the Centre had also made it clear that the State government and the respective urban local bodies would have to bear the remaining expense of Rs. 364.86 crore. He said the Centre had also asked the State to furnish the quarterly progress report and added that it would be a one-time financial assistance, and that no further grants would be provided. Interestingly, the project has to be completed within three years from the time of awarding works to the contractor.
The existing UGD system in the town was set up in 1959 and has been covering just 22 per cent of the municipal area.
The installed capacity of the Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) at Suddapalli Donka is 34 million litres per day (MLD).
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Guntur West MLA Modugula Venugopala Reddy and East MLA Sk. Mustafa complimented the Commissioner for his efforts to get assistance from the Centre.