Vijayawada: The cost estimates of the storm water drainage project in Vijayawada are goig to increase by more than 131 per cent as the work estimates have been increased in the same proportion. According to the comprehensive design plan, the length of the major drains to be constructed in the city increased to 357.07 km as against to 142.1 km shown in the original detailed project report (DPR).
In the comprehensive design plan, 198.73km length of existing drains were declared as structurally unsound and 12.20 km of drains, though in good condition, but not compatible with the proposed design. Only 28.37 km length of the existing drains can be retained in the city, which means either 239.30 km length of the existing drains will have to be demolished and new drains constructed or they have to be modified in accordance with the new plan.
Besides this, the civic body also proposed to construct 88.93 km length of new drains in the city making the total length of the major drains to be constructed 328.70 km, which is 186.60 km more than the length proposed in the DPR. As the amount of work is going up by more than 131 per cent, the cost of the project will also to shoot up accordingly. The urban development ministry has sanctioned '460 crore as one time grant and the state government has contributed Rs 1.04 crore to the project. The public health department was designated to execute the project and Andhra Pradesh Urban Infrastructure Development is to be the nodal agency.
The public health department has prepared the DPR considering the existing drains but as the majority of them were not structurally good, the entire drain network has to be overhauled in the city. With the revised proposals from the civic body, a comprehensive design plan was prepared by the L & T Company, which bagged the contract. The new proposals are going to cost the VMC dearly as it has to mobilise the finances. The state government clearly mentioned in the order that it was onetime grant and any further cost escalations will have to be borne by the civic body. VMC commissioner G. Veera-pandian said they are working out to mobilise the finances as the cost of the project is definitely going to increase.
