Chittoor: Plethora of problems haunt Sanjay Gandhi Nagar

Chittoor: Sanjay Gandhi Nagar, one of the 27 notified slums in Chittoor corporation, is most undeveloped and facing a plethora of problems. Foremost among them is lack of proper drainage system which is resulting in contamination of drinking water with the drain water at many places due to damages to pipelines and leading to an unhealthy environment.

The clogged drains also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes causing several health problems like viral fever etc. Though the colony which comes under 6th Division of the Corporation, has 450 families, who are poor and weaker sections including Scheduled Castes (75 per cent), Muslims (20 per cent) and the remaining backward classes eking livelihood as daily wage earners and also engaged in various trades of unorganised sector with no assured income, it has failed to draw the attention of the authorities for development.

"We are living in the colony for the last 40 years but do not have minimum basic infrastructure facilities like pucca drains and safe drinking water. Despite personal representations to the political leaders and officials, things fail to improve. Another major issue most of the residents are facing is no regularisation of the sites they are enjoying for long and pattas or possession certificates are not issued so far to the eligible poor. Nobody is kind enough to hear our grievances," lamented Leelamma, who has been residing in a hut for the past 40 years, struggling for the regularisation of her piece of land on which the hut was put up.

The residents regretted that the water contamination remained unsolved for long. "Because of the pipelines surrounded with stagnated drainage, many times we receive contaminated water," they said.

"We are forced to purchase water for health safety spending considerable amount from our meager income, complained," Surya Bee, a Muslim housewife.

The residents said the burial ground located in the midst of colony turned into a major pollutant with all sorts of waste being dumped posing health hazards.

Construction of a community hall for the poor to hold family or community function is also remaining unfulfilled for long said Shanmugam, a SC leader from the colony.