Hopes on Nellore Tank Bund Development works revived

Nellore: The Nellore tank beautification project which started in Nov 2018 and scheduled to be completed by this July was kept pending along with other projects in the district.

Nellore tank bund project (3-km long Swarnalatha Cheruvu) was started with Rs. 16.3 crore under Atal Mission of Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme for which the Centre had sanctioned Rs. 30 crore.

The Irrigation Minister P Anil Kumar recently assured to restart the works and complete them.

It may be noted that the works were taken up during the TDP regime in 2018 and they were halted after the change of government in the state. Former Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana launched the project for giving a facelift to the surroundings of the tank and had deputed a Hyderabad based agency Aarvee Agencies, for preparing a Detailed Project Report for beautification of the tank. The proposal was to develop the tank blocking the flow of sewerage from the street drains into the tank as per the guidelines of the National River Conservation Directorate.

Subsequently, Aarvee Agencies had completed the DPR.

Nellore Urban Development Authority planned a necklace road, walking track, cycle track from Irukalala Parameswari temple to Collector's Bungalow Road on the lines of Necklace Road in Hyderabad. The tank is close to Bara Shaheed Dargah and devotees visit the tank when they visit Dargah.

Municipal Administration Department also anticipated some assistance from the Government of India under National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA).

Central assistance of Rs. 30 crore under AMRUT was initially allocated to the Municipal Corporation and subsequently shifted to NUDA to take up the project. But, after new government came to power, there was no progress in the works and freshly the Minister Anil Kumar who visited the area assured to restart the works.