Piped water supply in Visakhapatnam city completes 122 years on December 18

GVMC to provide 24/7 drinking water to citizens, 122 years after first public taps opened in Visakhapatnam in 1901.

Even as the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) is on the threshold of supplying 24/7 drinking water to the citizens, it will be interesting to know that the supply of protected drinking water through public taps first began in the municipality 122 years ago on December 18, 1901.

Sounds interesting? Prior to that, residents of the town were relying on wells for drinking water. As the population started growing and the town expanded, the need for drinking water increased. The municipal authorities started augmenting the supply strengthening the existing wells and digging new wells, says Vijjeswarapu Edward Paul, a history enthusiast and Member of INTACH.

Visakhapatnam became a municipality in 1858, graduated into a municipal corporation in 1979 and is the first civic body in Andhra Pradesh to become a Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) in 2005 with the merger of Gajuwaka and 32 gram panchayats. Subsequently, Anakapalle and Bheemunipatnam towns were also included in GVMC.

During drought, many wells used to go dry necessitating digging of temporary wells in the beds of tanks like Dykes tank, near the present Turner’s Choultry, and Nerellakoneru in Allipuram. The municipal authorities began contemplating a scheme of supplying protected water from the early 1880s. A search was made to find a perennial source of water, and Hanumanthawaka stream was found in the vicinity of the city. Investigations and Survey started in 1884-85 and went on till 1890-91. The scheme was sanctioned in 1896-97 with an estimate of ₹4,21,000, half of this amount as grant from Provincial Government and the other as a loan to the municipality at a rate of 4.25% repayable in 30 years.

The plan was to construct a barrier to the Hanumanthavaka stream at Mudasarlova to form a reservoir with a catchment area of about six square miles to store about 25 million cubic feet of water. To construct filter beds and to lay a 10 inch pipeline to the town service reservoir (TSR Complex) near the present LIC building and to lay distribution pipelines to various municipal wards in the town.

The construction of the project was undertaken by the Public Works Department. The residents of the city got the first taste of protected water on December 18, 1901, though the completion of the total project took some more time and water supply scheme was finally handed over to the municipality on May 21, 1903. Initially, Waltair and Dondaparthi areas were not included. As the elevation of Waltair was high, a pumping station was set up to pump water from the service reservoir. The municipality supplied water through public taps.

Initially tap connections were not given to the individual houses. In 1917, the Rani of Wadhwan contributed to the extension of pipelines to the northern portion of Allipuram and the Hindu Crematorium ground. Later, tap connections were provided to institutions like King George Hospital, Government Hospital for Mental Care and jail for their exclusive use, says Mr. Paul.