GHMC to get serious on 'Monsoon Action Plan'

Hyderabad, July 4 (INN): GHMC Commissioner Somesh Kumar reiterated that the preparation of 'Monsoon Action Plan' is the responsibility of Zonal and Deputy Commissioners.

The Commissioner held a review meeting on Bonalu and Ramzan arrangements, Monsoon action plan and Corporator budget of North Zone in his chambers on Friday. He said that the Monsoon action plan includes the details regarding basic introduction of the circle including population, area, road length, nalas, lakes, average rainfall, average rainy days and number rain gauges in the circle, details of potholes, low lying areas, water logging points, material kept ready to tackle monsoon emergencies, no. of monsoon teams, local persons to be contacted in critical situations, dilapidated buildings, bottle necks, dangerous cellars and drainage map.

Somesh Kumar opined that the ZCs and DCs are not taking keen interest in preparing monsoon action plan, which will be readymade help for them in times of urgency, which can be a basis for the betterment of the circle and said that this shows the callousness of the officials.

The Commissioner opined that monsoon teams are not provided with proper vehicles, they should be provided with jeeps to reach the spot in times of urgency but cars are hired in the names of monsoon teams and utilized by some officials. He said that some enquiry will be conducted in this regard, if found guilty the money will be recovered from the concerned officials.

Somesh Kumar asked the Executive Engineers to give a declaration stating that there are no potholes, missing manhole covers and unattended catch pits in their areas with in 3 days time. He said that declaring that there are no water logging points is impossible but potholes, missing manhole covers and catch pits can be physically attended by engineering officials.

He has directed the Zonal Commissioner to sanction all works relating to water logging points, irrespective of on which roads they are, since clearing water logging is the responsibility of GHMC.

The Commissioner directed the Deputy Commissioners to prepare an action plan, for celebrating Bonalu and Ramzan in their jurisdiction, including important temples and mosques of their jurisdiction, important dates, congregation size, procession routes, road maps works sanctioned area wise, regular lighting and temporary lighting.

He further said that the state government is giving much importance to these festivals and instructed to bestow their full attention on these works and see that people feel the positive change in the way the festivals are celebrated.

Somesh Kumar said that works are not sanctioned under Corporator budget, though clear guidelines were given, directed to complete the sanctioning process in 2 days and advised not to stop all other works for simple doubts.

The prioritization of works guidelines include maximum of Rs. 1.90 Crore in outer & Rs. 1.40 Crore area can be used for engineering works, at least Rs. 10 lakhs should be used for UCD activities, not more than Rs. 30 lakhs can be used for building works and in outer areas for slums maximum of 5 power bore wells and in core maximum 2 power bores can be taken up etc.,

The Commissioner informed that the Malkajgiri circle stood last in collecting telephone numbers of property owners, they could collect 52% of telephone numbers where the GHMC average is 63%, he said. The Commissioner wondered why GHMC people can't collect the telephone numbers soon after distributing the demand bills, directed to complete the collection of telephone numbers within 15 days and further directed not to pay a single pie for transaction without collecting telephone number simultaneously.

Preeti Meena, ZC (North Zone), T Anjaneyulu, Chief Engineer, N Ravi Kiran, Additional Commissioner (Health & Sanitation) and Deputy Commissioners V. Mamatha (Quthbullapur), P. Saroja (Alwal), M. Venkateswarlu (Malkajgiri) and ED Vijaya Raju (Secunderabad) were also present.