Encroachments threaten Srikakulam’s smart city tag
Major water discharge resources are encroached by private person
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-09-15 06:06 GMT
Srikakulam: Although Srikakulam town has been included under smart city project which was announced by AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Srikakulam is one among the 14 proposed smart cities in AP, basic requirements like drainage system is poor as encroachments are posing threat to discharge of flood water during rainy season. In and around the town, major water discharge resources like Mirthibatti and Verribatti were encroached by private persons at Indiranagar, Ramala-xmana Junction, Visakha A, Visakha B colonies and Peddapadu road. As a result, rain water stagnated on roads and low lying areas and is inundated with Nagavali flood water during every rain season.
Balaga, Illisupuram, irrigation office road, ASN colony, Bondili-puram, Tilaknagar, Dwarakanagar and Ind-iranagar are being ma-rooned by rain water every year. In addition to it, irrigation canals have been occupied by land grabbers at Arasa-valli, P.N. Colony, Illisu-puram areas in the town.
“We have marked encroachments of canals and drains and removed them at two areas and proposed to build small road bridges, but remaining occupations need to be removed by the municipality,” said Srikakulam tahsildar N. Dilip Chakravarthy. Sewage and silt are also required to be removed from drains from PSNM School to Ramlaxmana Junction for which more than Rs 50 lakh
funds is required, the tahsildar added.
Most of the areas adjacent to town in Chap-uram village panchayat limits and merger of the panchayat issue is pending in the High Court. As a result, mun-icipal funds are not being allotted to drain works and the panchayat does not have the required funds which is leading to inundation in rainy season.
“AP state government proposed to develop Srikakulam as a smart city, but occupations of roads and drains need to be removed by authorities first,” opined G. Durga Prasad, member of Forum for Better Srikakulam.