After wait of four months, drainage work starts again in Vijayawada

VIJAYAWADA

: After a gap of four months,

work

for

stormwater

drain projects has started in the city again. VMC has set a target of completing patch works by December 31.


L&T Constructions, the agency that has been carrying out the SWD

project

work, stalled the work in June as government delayed bill payment of around Rs 60 crore. Sand scarcity across the state also impacted the work.

With the work stalled, gaping

drains

have been causing inundation of main roads. VMC has identified 300 such gaps in construction and has asked the agency to fill these up at the earliest. After a series of meetings with VMC authorities and the municipal administration department, L&T has agreed to continue the work. However, the agency has made it clear that work cannot continue unless the bills are cleared at the earliest. VMC has assured that it would clear all bills soon.

“People have been facing problems with incomplete stormwater drains. Roads are getting flooded and water collected in the dug-up trenches is causing mosquito menace. Works have started in around 16 locations in the city and the agency is continuing gap-filling works in 90 prime locations,” said deputy executive engineer K Satish Kumar. “We also have enought sand now to continue the works and focus on major drain works including Guntathippa drain, Kandrika drain and Gunadala drain,” he added.

However, while the VMC has asked L&T to complete the whole SWD work by February 2020, L&T said they cannot complete the project before August 2021.

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