Promising to give incentives and awards to resident welfare associations for maintaining cleanliness in colonies, Municipal Commissioner M. Hari Narayanan has called upon them to supplement the smart city development by taking up rainwater harvesting, roof-top solar energy and plantation drives.
Addressing the RWAs at the launch of the Visakhapatnam chapter of AP Federation of Resident Welfare Associations (APFERWAS) at Integral Institute of Advanced Management here on Sunday, he said with the cost of one megawatt of solar energy coming down from ₹14 crore to ₹4 crore, roof-top energy has become affordable. Though GVMC made rainwater harvesting structure mandatory instead of builder just complying with it, if RWAs take up RWH structures with the spirit of deriving the benefit in the colonies, it would be successful, Mr. Hari Narayanan said. Describing engagement with RWAs as grass-root level democracy, he said through them citizens could be empowered. He had started meeting RWAs at zone-level and so far four zones were covered, Mr. Hari Narayanan said.
Along with Lok Sabha member K Haribabu, he launched the website of APFERWAS, developed by software engineer D. Kiran Kumar. Mr. Haribabu said with Visakhapatnam emerging the third cleanest city in the country it changed the state of mind in industrial and other establishments. During his visits to the HSL and the NTPC he found that they were spick and span in comparison to their earlier condition. The railway station stood first and Visakhapatnam Port Trust second in the country and that was the impact of GVMC, he said. While getting the award was one thing, keeping the city clean everyday was a big task, he said and complimented the Municipal Commissioner for it.
Solar power
Quoting the example of power bill coming down at his residence after installing solar power, he said RWAs should go in for solar power of at least one kilowatt. The greenery in the core area of the city was now replaced by buildings.
“The only way of changing it again is to install solar power so that an aerial view looks like a solar city,” Mr Haribabu said. He had already announced contribution from MPLAD funds for solar power to 144 municipal schools, he said.
Stressing the improvement of greenery, the MP said if RWAs came forward to contribute along with GVMC for development of parks, he would allot matching grant from his MPLAD funds.
Thanking former Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu for his support in holding the national convention of RWAs, APFERWAS president Uday Shirname said citizens should do their bit by not allowing vacant sites turning into dumping points and segregate waste and go in for solar power.
Vice-president K.S.R. Murthy explained the work so far done by FERWAS and the programmes taken up in association with APPCB and the salient features of the website.
General secretary A.V. Ramana Rao said so far 75 colonies in the city were associated with FERWAS since it began its work in November.
General secretary of United Federation of RWAs, Hyderabad, B.T. Srinivasan, IIAM Dean S.P. Ravindra, APFERWAS vice-president Jeeja Valsaraj, secretary Sunita Mansukhani and executive committee member Turaga V.N. Rao participated in the programme.