AMC submits memorandum
to Advani; administration will demolish all the weak building structures
Civic body proposes drainage line
along Narol-Naroda highway
The
civic administration submitted a memorandum to Union home minister L.K.
Advani appraising him on the need of drainage lines and infrastructure
along the 20 km stretch of the national highway that passes through
the municipal limits.
Home minister Mr Advani,
who was on a day’s visit to the flood affected areas of Ahmedabad met
municipal commissioner K. Kailashnathan and P.K. Laheri, administrator
of AMC. In a joint press conference convened at Ahmedabad, Mr Kailasnathan
and Mr Laheri said that the national highway passes through the civic
limits in the Naroda and Narol area. Mr Advani said that he will take
the matter up with the Central government when the civic administration
will move the demand to the Central government formally. They also said
that several industries in Kadi, Kalol, AMC and Ahmedabad Urban Development
Authority areas release their industrial waste in Sabarmati river causing
pollution. They urged him to recommend the National River Development
Project to work out a plan to decrease pollution levels in the river.
Meanwhile three more people
died on Saturday in the rain-affected areas of Ahmedabad city, as the
civic authorities intensified their relief operations on the third consecutive
day. Bodies of two victims, Lalji Ramji, 32, and Ramesh Patel, 27, have
been recovered and one body is still missing.
According to authorities,
544 mm rainfall has been recorded so far in Ahmedabad city. The authorities
informed the reporters that water in the Odhav industrial estate could
not be completely drained with the help of de-watering pumps as it had
become red and black in colour.
They said that water collected
from de-watering pumps is released either in Kankaria or Sabarmati but
as this water is polluted, it cannot be released there.
The administration will
demolish all the weak building structures, which may collapse in the
rains. Mr Kailashnathan said that municipal authorities will not take
a prior permission of the owners of "such buildings" before demolishing
them. Mr Laheri said that said as a part of the massive "cleanliness
drive" launched by the civic administration, the managing director of
the Gujarat Maritime Board R.R. Varsani has been made the Officer on
Special Duty to supervise the operations. He said that Mr Varsani had
earlier worked as a deputy municipal commissioner for three years in
Ahmedabad and will work as an OSD for four weeks.
According to authorities,
about 5,000 people from the flood affected areas of Ahmedabad had been
moved to safer places in as many as nine different schools.
About 54 teams of doctors
and paramedical staff have visited several water logged areas of the
city. About 6,000 food packets were distributed on Saturday.
