ONGOLE: Here is good news for the people of Ongole. The municipality would be able to supply drinking water every day, instead of once in three days as now, when it completes construction of seven overhead service reservoirs and one filtration point in the next one year.

The Central Government has agreed in principle to sanction funds for augmenting drinking water supply in Ongole at a cost of Rs. 15.54 crores under the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT). While the Central Government would provide grant to meet 80 per cent of the cost, the State Government would meet 10 per cent and the municipality should meet the balance of 10 per cent from its own resources.

Though the municipality has constructed two summer storage tanks with a huge capacity and is getting adequate water from Nagarajuna Sagar project, it has not been able to supply water every day for want of pressure in the mains.

So it proposed to construct seven Elevated Level Service Reservoirs (ELSRs) at different places in the town to improve pressure in the mains and supply adequate water to people every day and extend the pipeline to several uncovered areas which are presently catered to by tankers.

It prepared estimates for the seven overhead tanks, one filtration plant and extension of pipelines etc at a total cost of Rs. 18.6 crores and sought HUDCO loan. But the State Government found that it would be too burdensome for the municipality to repay the loan as it was already saddled with HUDCO loans taken for construction of second summer storage tank.

MoU signed

So the State Government wanted the municipality to propose the scheme under UIDSSMT in which it can get 90 per cent of the cost as grant.

Municipal commissioner Challa Anuradha signed a memorandum of understanding with the State and Central Governments.

The Central Government however pruned the cost to Rs. 15.54 crores and wanted the municipality to get the cost of distribution lines appraised afresh. The municipality hopes to get the scheme through in the next fortnight.

Municipal chairman Bapatla Hanumantha Rao said they were planning to entrust the work to a reputed firm to complete the project within one year to meet their poll promise of supplying water every day.

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