The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Vijayawada News : Drainage system in a bad shape

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 23, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Drainage system in a bad shape

By G.V. Ramana Rao

DANGER LURKS: A woman hangs clothes perilously close to a transformer at Mahanthipuram. Photo: Raju V.

VIJAYAWADA, DEC. 22. The 11th division of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is in the heart of the congested old city. It lacks the required infrastructure like underground drainage and other amenities.

The corporator of the division, Dadi Appa Rao, says that the open drain system was neglected for 30 years. It is vastly due to his efforts that the drainage in the division has been improved. A large chunk of the Rs. 1.5 crores, spent in his division during his tenure, is meant for developing a cement concrete open drain system.

The covering of the sewage water channel, which cuts across his division from the slopes of Indrakeeladri hill, with cement concrete slabs to prevent people from falling in it accidentally and also foul smell emanating from it at a cost of Rs.10 lakhs, is seen as a major achievement by him. Mr. Appa Rao is very proud of the door-to-door garbage collection system that is under implementation in his division.

The increase in the strength of children attending municipal school in his division from a mere 75 at the time when he was elected to the Corporation to 350 today is also a matter of great delight to Mr. Appa Rao.

School upgraded

He also takes the credit for upgrading the elementary school to an upper primary school and for providing children chairs at a cost of Rs. 2 lakhs.

The 15-bedded Kothapet maternity hospital located in this division caters to the needs of people not only in the division, but also in half-a-dozen neighbouring divisions.

The lack of an underground drainage is a major problem as most of the houses in this congested part do not have septic tanks. The soiled water from toilets is released directly into the open drains resulting in health and sanitation problems. Mosquito problem dogs the 11th division too. Mr. Appa Rao says the reason for this problem is the spraying of substandard chemicals.

The people of the division are not happy with the way Mr. Appa Rao handled a few issues. "The widening of the Kothuru-Tadepalli Road is still incomplete," says Ramesh Kumar, a resident of Mahanthipuram.

Mr. Appa Rao is also facing criticism about the disbursement of old age pensions. His political adversaries are charging him with pitching a commission from the elderly persons in his division.

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