VMC moots use of rain gardens for stormwater management

Vijayawada: To solve the water logging problem on the main roads and to enhance greenery, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is planning to build rain gardens along the main roads in the city. The VMC will take up plantation drive as part of the rain gardens, wherein one-and-half meters water harvesting pits will be constructed along the main roads in the city. The pits resemble the water harvesting pits, which are being made in the apartments.

Addressing media here on Saturday, Municipal Commissioner V Prasanna Venkatesh said so far, there was no scope for seeping of rain waters into the ground due to construction of end-to-end roads. Most main roads in the city are built from one end to other end giving no scope for percolation of water into the soil in the rainy season, he said and pointed out percolation of water was very important to recharge the ground water.

Keeping in view of this, he said the civic body was planning to build pits and small structures made of sand, stones and other material with layers. "The rainwater will be used for growing of plants along the road," Venkatesh said and added the civic body is contemplating to construct rain gardens along the main roads and the officials were working out on it.

Asked about how the civic body will deal with the small and narrow roads on water conservation, he replied that small water harvesting pits with mesh and layers will be built along small roads in the city. He said small pits will be built in the low-lying areas along the streets and roads so that the rainwater will percolate into the soil and added all these factors will help to recharge the ground waters.

In view of the water scarcity problem being faced by the metros like Chennai and Bengaluru, he said the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation was making innovative plans for conservation of rainwater and proper utilisation of water resources by constructing rain gardens and small water harvesting pits.

Stating that the city gets about 40 days rain in a year, he said but, most of the rainwater was flowing into small side drains and finally reaching to three canals and Budameru. Hence forth the rainwater will be utilised properly with construction of rain gardens and water harvesting pits, he averred.