Stormwater drain project ‘stuck’ in correspondence between VMC and State govt.

Stormwater drain project ‘stuck’ in correspondence betweenVijayawada Municipal Corporation and State govt.

Work on the city’s stormwater drain — a long-pending and highly awaited public infrastructure project — remains ‘stuck’ in correspondence between the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation and the State Government even as several years have passed since the commencement of works.

The governing body of the VMC’s council led by Mayor Rayana Bhagyalakshmi told the council during the general body meeting held here on Monday that the civic body has been discussing the issue with the State government through correspondence.

The issue was raised in the agenda by CPI(M) floor leader Boyi Satya Babu. He said that the ₹460 crore-project hit a roadblock after completion of about 40% of the work and people are facing hardships during the monsoon due to unfinished works on the outfall drains and side drains at many locations. He asked the council to ensure that work is resumed. The project which began in 2016 under the Public Health and Municipal Engineering Department (PHMED) stopped midway about two years ago in the same year. Owing to inordinate delay, the civic body has taken up several works on its own using general funds.

Meanwhile, the council ratified the VMC’s decision to finalise a contractor for the modernisation of slaughterhouse in the city.

The civic body proposed the establishment of a modern slaughterhouse in Vambay Colony. It will be built at a cost of ₹14.90 crore with all amenities and facilities to process about 2,000 livestock per day. The civic body studied the existing slaughterhouse in Visakhapatnam as per the directions of the State government.

During the council meeting, corporators raised several issues related to overflowing underground drainages and dog menace.

A proposal to construct an additional bridge across Bandar Canal to ease the traffic burden on the existing narrow bridges has been approved to be sent to the Water Resources Department.