The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation assures daily water supply to Vizag this summer, with repairs to the 150-km-long Yeleru Canal and the 60-km-long Raiwada pipeline having been taken up this year


The commissioner of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), Mr V.N. Vishnu, said efforts were being taken to prevent water shortage this summer and the corporation will ensure that water was supplied every day. Talking to reporters during the Grievances Day here on Monday, the commissioner said the repairs to the 150-km-long Yeleru Canal would be completed by the second week of March. Cost of the repairs has been estimated at Rs. 8.5 crore.

The work has been taken up by Visakhapatnam Industrial Water Supply Company (Visco) and Visakhapatnam Steel Plant has contributed Rs. 4 crore. The repairs was taken up in January after a gap of five years. The repairs to the 60-km-long Raiwada pipeline has been completed and the GVMC now can draw water up to 25.30 million gallons per day (MGD). The cost was Rs. 1.5 crore. Earlier, only 16 MGD water was drawn. From Yeleru Canal, the water supply would be increased from 56 MGD to 70 MGD.

"With the completion of repairs, the GVMC will get an additional 23 MGD of water," the commissioner said. Irrigation department sources said all the reservoirs became full due to the prolonged south east monsoons and north eastern monsoons. Evaporation was also less compared to previous years due to the prolonged cold spell.

The GVMC area needs around 75 MGD of water of which 30 MGD would be needed for industries and bulk supply.