GUNTUR: The stopping of drinking water supply and closure of 19 mineral water plants is troubling the public in diarrhoea-affected areas of Guntur. The GMC is supplying water through tankers but all the people are not getting the water. The locals are going to other areas in auto rickshaws and other vehicles to bring drinking water. Further, some people are going to houses of their relatives to get water.
The public complained that they were being forced to shell anything between Rs 50-Rs 60 per 20 litres of water and demanded supplying of water to all areas immediately. On Saturday, the GMC started super chlorination process to supply clean and disinfected water to the people. As many as 125 colonies in Guntur East Assembly constituency, are slums and have remained undeveloped.
The locals of Bara Imam Punja, M. Sekhar, Sk Usman said they know that the water supply has been stopped to change the pipelines, as part of steps to check spread of diarrhoea. “But, the water being supplied by the GMC through tankers is not sufficient.” They said 56 tankers were making 206 trips but that it is insufficient for the nearly 3 lakh populations in the old Guntur city.
They said they used to get water from private water plants and complained that even those plants have been seized by the GMC. They said they were going to other areas to bring drinking water by spending at least Rs 200 on auto-rickshaw fare and rued that the traders too increased the price of 20 litre water can to Rs 50-Rs 60 against the normal Rs 10-Rs 20. They demanded the GMC to increase number of water tankers and their trips also to meet the drinking water demand. GMC commissioner Ch. Anuradha said private water plants will be opened after inspection on Sunday and assured about increase of water supply.
Public gherao MLA, demand water supply
Guntur East MLA Md Mustafa faced the wrath of the people in the diarrhoea-affected areas when they tried to gherao him in protest against lack of drinking water supply to them. The MLA criticised the GMC commissioner and officials for the outbreak of diarrhoea, that claimed the life of 10 persons, and demanded action against the commissioner and officials.
There are 125 colonies in Guntur East Assembly constituency but the government never tried to improve water supply to these areas, despite taking the issue to the notice of the GMC and the government in the Assembly. Mr Mustafa came to high-level reservoir over head tank situated at BR Stadium. He alleged that the tank which supplies drinking water to the old Guntur was damaged and ready to collapse.
He showed the water leaking from the tank and damaged water supply lines linked to the water tank and alleged that these damaged and leaking pipelines were contaminating drinking water and demanded modernisation of water supply system. He reminded that two weeks ago, he showed polluted water collected from water tap to GMC officials and sought change of pipelines but in vain. He demanded Rs 25 crore to change all the pipelines supplying drinking water to the people. He also sought increase of water tankers.
Super chlorination in Guntur nears completion
The Guntur Municipal Corporation started super chlorination process to clean the water supplying pipelines in the city and primarily completed the process in several diarrhoea-affected areas of the city on Saturday. GMC Commissioner Ch. Anuradha said that the process is underway in several other areas and the task will be completed by Sunday. She said that super chlorination process was completed at BR Stadium, LB Nagar and Vasantharayapuram reservoirs and stated that the public residing under these reservoirs can use the water supplied by GMC through pipelines. Ms Anuradha said that the Nehru Nagar people should not use the water because the super chlorination process is under progress there and they can take the water for usage from Sunday afternoon. She further said the GMC engineering officials will conduct the process of super chlorination at Housing Board colony, KVP colony, Stambhalagaruvu, HLR, Hanumaiah Nagar and Nallacheruvu areas of Guntur on intervening night of Saturday and Sunday so the people should not take the water for usage in these areas.
