Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation
Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation

Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation undertakes survey to develop 793 slums

The survey data will be the base to prepare an action plan for the development of basic infrastructure in slums.

VISAKHAPATNAM: To give a facelift to the city, which is all set to become the executive capital of the State, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) took up a flash survey on Sunday as a first step towards slum development.

As many as 793 slums have been identified in the GVMC limits. Of the total, 426 are notified slums and 367 non-notified slums. The survey data will be the base to prepare an action plan for the development of basic infrastructure in slums.

GVMC Urban Community Development (UCD) Project Director Y Srinivasa Rao told The New Indian Express that it was for the first time slum dwellers were getting identification through the survey. Nearly 6,000 personnel, including staff of town planning, VROs, ACPs, ATPs, social workers and zonal commissioners took part in the survey. 

"The teams explained to the slum dwellers that the survey was aimed at improving their living conditions. Those who do not have house or land pattas are being identified and steps will be taken to build houses for them," he said.

The flash survey will be completed by Monday and details will be displayed in secretariats for receiving objections. "The survey report will be submitted to the State government for approval," he said. Chief City Planner RJ Vidyullata said every slum is different from the other. 

"Depending on the requirement of each slum, an individual policy plan will be prepared. The revenue staff are gathering tax details and land extent. After getting ground realities, mapping will be done for each slum with details of population, number of houses, boundaries etc," she said.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, Gajuwaka Commissioner D Sridhar said there are 49,000 families living in over 152 slums in the zone. "As part of the integrated survey, we have gathered details of whether slum dwellers are availing of ongoing schemes or not and the requirement of basic infrastructure is also being studied," Sridhar said.

Gajuwaka, being an industrial area, has more slums with a large number of migrant and unorganised workers residing there. "The survey will help people who are yet to get any benefit from the government," Sridhar said.

In 2005, there were 405 slums in the GVMC. Now, there are 793 slums with the merger of Anakapalle and Bheemili in the GVMC. About one lakh people are living in the slums. While 67 slums have come up on GVMC lands, 563 are located on lands of various departments of the State government.

Ten slums are located on Central government lands and 153 slums on private lands. The survey will help identify the total extent of the land on which slums are located, a senior GVMC official said.GVMC Commissioner G Srijana monitored the conduct of survey in zone 3 and 4 in the city.

The data collected from households by 793 survey teams is being uploaded into a mobile-based application. Based on the data, adequate infrastructure facilities will be created in the slums on a priority basis, the commissioner said. 

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