Hyderabad: Vengal Rao Nagar residents continue to grope in the dark

Hyderabad: Residents of Vengal Rao Nagar face problems with dysfunctional streetlights, garbage piles on roads and loosely hanging wires. They say that road works pending for long were not being taken up by authorities; most CCTV cameras in the area also don't work.

Kilari Manohar, the BJP candidate in last year's GHMC election says that around 60 per cent of streetlights in Vengal Rao Nagar colony rarely function. With this both residents and commuters are facing problems, particularly from GTS Ayyappa Temple to Kalyani Nagar, where there are no lights. The locals are finding it tough to commute there during nights, he added. Manohar charged that with most roads occupied by street vendors, commuters are forced to put up with traffic jams.

K Raja Shekar Gupta, president, Vengal Rao Nagar Welfare Association, said mosquito menace is making the residents' lives miserable forcing them to spend more sleepless nights. This is largely due to the GHMC staff not taking up regular fogging.

He alleges that most CCTV cameras don't work; though several complaints have been lodged with the authorities concerned, they are yet to act on them. "As roads in a few areas are not in good condition, we request the authorities to finish the re-laying work soon and to take up fogging regularly", Gupta added.

The locals accuse the civic body staff of not regularly lifting piled up garbage on roads as also cutting trees covering streetlights. They face problems with garbage stink, which is caused by the inaction of officials despite lodging several complaints. This has forced to the situation to remain unchanged. Even the public toilets in the ward are not functioning, charges M Anand of Siddartha Nagar. As trees covering streetlights create problems for commuters during nights, we request authorities to trim branches as soon as possible. The residents face threats from loosely hanging electric/cable wires, he added.

A HOST OF PROBLEMS…

♦ Garbage piles on road emitting a stink

♦ Loosely hanging wires pose a threat to lives

♦ Road works pending for long

♦ Most CCTV cameras are defunct

♦ Public toilets at Siddartha Nagar in bad condition