With the rain continuing to batter the city and leaving roads waterlogged for hours this monsoon season, the need for a stormwater drainage (SWD) system, a network of small and large drains that collect and drain rainwater into streams, has come to the fore once again.
The ₹461 crore SWD project sanctioned by the Central government is yet to be materialised even as many monsoon seasons have passed by.
The rainy season continues to be dreadful for motorists and pedestrians due to waterlogged roads and overflowing drains.
The SWD project was sanctioned in 2016 and works were undertaken by the Public Health and Municipal Engineering Department (PHMED) in the same year.
However, the works were stalled about two years ago due to the financial issues between the government and the construction firm and the ball was in the State’s court.
The PHMED appealed to the State government to hand over the project to the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) long ago as only about 60% of the work was completed, according to the officials.
Meanwhile, the VMC is making alternative arrangements to address the issues.
“We have undertaken the stormwater drain works in certain areas and roads that are prone to inundation. About ₹10 crore has been spent by the VMC so far from the general fund,” said VMC Chief Engineer M. Prabhakar.
Mr. Prabhakar said that the civic body also took up works pertaining to desilting the drains in the city at a cost of ₹2.5 crore. Silt accumulated in 80% of the drains in the city has been removed, he said.
