Little sets apart Vijayawada canals and dumpyards

VIJAYAWADA: The end of the Kharif season has exposed the state of Vijayawada’s canals. Heaps of plastic and other garbage can be seen floating in the city’s canals and clogging its lock gates. Campaigns and special drives conducted by Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) have failed to stop people from using them as dumping grounds.
Vijayawada city is also known as the Venice of Andhra Pradesh as a large section of it lies among three irrigation canals, Eluru, Bandar and Ryves canals.These canals not only water the fields and boost groundwater level, but also adds to the city’s beauty. But given the apathy of the irrigation department, rather than adding to the beauty, the dirty canals are now marring the look of the city.
Speaking to TOI, former city mayor Jandhyala Shankar said VMC authorities should utilise the canal bunds as marketplaces. “Canal bunds are used for dumping construction debris and other garbage in the city. Fruit vendors and small business units are major culprits in polluting canals with plastic and solid wastes. During my term in office, we did a detailed study on canals and proposed to construct markets on both sides, so that people stop polluting the canal bunds. Encroachments on the canals can be accommodated on the markets constructed on the bunds. This will also enhance the beauty of the canals,” Shankar said.
Krishna district administration and VMC, which cleared around 1,200 tonnes garbage in canals as a part of ‘Nenu Saitham Krishnamma Suddhi Sevalo’, are now preparing to start a canal beautification drive. Chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy directed officials to develop parks and green belts on canal bunds.
Speaking to TOI about the issue, district collector Mohammed Imtiaz said, “We have kept a special focus on protecting canals. We have already installed a fences on the bridges and barring people from dumping garbage in the canals. VMC authorities are preparing designs to restore canals and beautify the canal bunds.”