Senior officials from Commissionerate of Municipal Administration (CMA) visited project works undertaken by Vellore City Municipal Corporation (VCMC) on Saturday.
The VCMC undertakes various infra projects under Smart City programme of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India. The projects will focus on key areas, including establishment of an integrated bus stand, construction of underground drainage scheme at an investment of ₹537.37 crore, improvement in water supply and solid waste management project.
Commissioner of Municipal Administration, K. Baskaran, Additional Director Of Municipal Adminstration, M. Asokan and senior officials from CMA reviewed the ongoing underground drainage (UGD) work in Sathuvachari in Vellore (Zone 2). The team also looked at the construction of parking lot nearthe new bus stand. They reviewed the ongoing water supply improvement works at Katpadi as well.
Mr. Baskaran urged the officials to adhere to the schedule and complete the projects on time.
The team also took stock of the moat cleaning work undertaken on Fort Round Road on the rear side of the fort. The much-awaited work on phase-II of UGD system aimed at streamlining the wastewater of residential neighbourhoods across wards commencedhere on Wednesday. The largest among the three phases of UGD system for the Vellore city under Smart City project would prevent the sewage and sullage from polluting the Palar River and Nicholson canal passing through the town.
₹537.37 crore
₹537.37 crore has been sanctioned for the scheme, of which the State and the Union Governments would bear the costs 50:50.
It was decided to undertake the remaining portion of the work in four packages. Pipe-laying works for 490.565 kilometres and constructing 20,143 manholes, eight sewage pumping stations, along with 50 million litres per day (MLD) sewage treatment plant are being planned under the scheme.
As the city has been largely depending on stormwater drains to discharge waste water which was supposed to carry only excess rainwater to Palar River, was made remote due to unplanned real estate development and poor enforcement by Municipal Administration department.
Vellore Municipal Corporation officials said the first phase of UGD work was completed at a cost of ₹40.49 crore and 10,200 house connections were already provided with the service. Official sources said that works underphase-II would be completed at the earliest within the next couple of years. Manhole construction works has already been completed at Vallalar-Phase-I, Sathuvachari and neighbouring areas, which would be extended to other parts of the town systematically.
Preliminary civil works for phase-III proposed in similar packages covering Katpadi, Kangeyanallur, Gandhi Nagar, Virudhampattu areas is likely to begin during 2020.
Vellore City Municipal Corporation Commissioner, K. Krishnamurthy, Health Officer, T. Manivannan and Engineer V. Srinivasan, participated in the day long review work.
