Khammam’s Gollapadu channel turns urban paradise

The channel was a discarded irrigation channel of 10.60 km passing through the middle of the city with encroachments on either side forming slums.

Khammam: The Gollapadu channel modernisation project, which the Khammam Municipal Corporation undertook at a cost of Rs.100 crore, has helped create an urban lung space spread over 32 acres.

What makes it special is that it is both a city park and a neighbourhood park, a western concept, dotted with 10 recreational parks benefitting 50,000 residents in the vicinity and has become a big asset for Khammam. It has transformed the locality, which was once inhabitable, into a pleasant one.

It all began with Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s visit to Khammam city eight years ago and sanctioning funds under CM’s Special Assurances Funds. Thanks to the political will displayed by Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar and local corporators, the project has now come to fruition after facing many hurdles and opposition from those who encroached the area.

Gollapadu channel was a discarded irrigation channel of 10.60 km passing through the middle of the city with encroachments on either side forming slums. Septage and sullage from the slums and from 22 municipal divisions discharged into it causing stagnation.

At first, the encroachments were cleared with proper rehabilitation at Velugumatla to over 850 families to whom house sites were given besides developing full-fledged infrastructure at the colony, District Collector VP Gautham said during a tour of the park.

Then 10.60 km long underground sewerage pipelines were laid and the entire sewerage reaching the Gollapadu channel was intercepted and diverted to a 20 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant. A 6.5 km long storm water drain was built to divert storm water into the Munneru stream.

The nala area was filled with soil thus reclaiming nearly 32 acres of land on which the parks have been developed. The value of the area reclaimed is around Rs.200 crore, double the spending made on developing the area, municipal commissioner Adarsh Surabhi noted.

“Similar issues prevailed in many towns in Telangana and they remain unsolved but in Khammam a permanent and perfect solution is found. The project helps to prevent inundation in 22 municipal divisions during monsoon,” he said.

As many as 5000 saplings were planted in the park in the Miyawaki method. A 130 metre skating rink, mega chess board with chess playing tables, open gyms, sports facilities, walking tracks, Basti Dawakhanas, Panchatatva and Medicinal Parks have also been set up in the park.

It is planned to install CCTV cameras, to conduct chess and skating competitions for the local youth and to engage coaches to train children, the Collector said while Mayor P Neeraja told Telangana Today that the facility was open to all without any fee.