The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation is planning to rejuvenate the major water bodies in the city limits by putting an end to the discharge of untreated sewage and sullage.
The civic body plans to take up the project under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT 2.0) with the 15th Finance Commission funds.
Pollution of the three canals, Bandar Canal, Ryves Canal and Eluru Canal, passing through the city and the Krishna river due to discharge of sewage has been a major concern in the city and also the downstream areas where the canal water is sourced for drinking and irrigation purposes.
Over the years, due to several initiatives taken up by the civic body, the amount of sewage and the single-use plastic waste being discharged into the water bodies came down but there has not been a permanent solution.
The VMC has identified that the pollution of the canals has significantly degraded the surface water quality and environmental conditions of the city due to the release of a huge quantity of raw sewage.
To address the issue, the civic body has taken up the preparation of a detailed project report and has called tenders from relevant companies to conduct a comprehensive study on Friday.
Gaps in existing infrastructure, pollutants causing canal pollution and possibilities of diverting the untreated sewage to the treatment plants will be studied over a period of two and a half months.
After the preparation of the DPR, necessary work will be taken. Along with the three canals and the Krishna river, the Payakapuram Cheruvu will also be studied.
