VIJAYAWADA: The Vijaywada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is gearing up to resolve long-pending issues of denizens residing on canal and drain bunds in the city. The civic body is looking to construct affordable apartments instead of relocating these residents to other areas.
Around 60,000 families in the city reside on encroachments on canal and drain bunds. Most of these houses are in an unhygenic state and residents have been facing problems for years. High rents and the exorbitant cost of land is the primary reason for encroachments on canal bunds, leading the corporation to take up a G+4 apartment project soon to relocate residents of encroachments in the Dal Mill area near Pezzonipeta.
The civic body, which earlier made proposals to relocate canal bund dwellers to the city outskirts, is now searching for alternatives despite firm opposition from the locals. Kaja Venkateswara Rao, a resident of Madhuranagar Katta said that though the houses are small and don’t have any amenities, yet the residents are happy. The residences are very near to the city. But Municipal authorities are planning to relocate them to Jakkampudi Colony which is away from the city.
VMC commissioner Prasanna Venkatesh said that the corporation is considering the requests of local residents. He said that most of the canal bund dwellers are not willing to relocate to the outskirts of the city, so VMC is planning to construct affordable houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme on vacant lands available nearby. It has decided to take up a pilot project at the Dal Mill area in Pezzonipeta, where people are residing adjacent to the main channel drain. The consent of the locals will be taken before starting the project.
Prasanna also added that VMC will initially shift the 230 families residing on a rental basis here to the houses available at Vambey Colony in Ajith Singh Nagar and start work on the housing complex. It has also identified 20 cent of land for this project.
Source: ET Realty
Image Source: Deccan Chronicle