Open nala makes life miserable for residents

Nacharam: The residents of buildings at Karthikeya Nagar in Nacharam are going through an ordeal due to the unbearable stink and foul smell emanating from an open nala that flows adjacent to the colony. Residents living in various apartments in the surrounding areas as well as the locals are suffering due to the unabated rising stink from the open nala.

The overpowering stink and deadly mosquitoes have become a part of life for the locals of the area. The huge open `nala' in the area which cuts across several residential complexes, has made life miserable for the residents. One can imagine the plight of the residents living there for years keeping their doors and windows shut throughout the day.

Residents of these apartments wish that they stayed away from home for long hours to escape the bad smell. But at the end of the day they have no choice but to return home for yet another ordeal.

Repeated pleas were raised by residents several times to authorities concerned to make some alternative arrangements like either covering the `nala' with slabs or at least having huge pipelines.

"We cannot open the doors or windows for fresh air. With the problem of mosquitoes in the evening we cannot even take a walk and are forced to spend sleepless nights. At least during daytime, being at office saves me from the stink. But what about my family members who are at home throughout the day?" asks Riplika, a resident of Karthikeya Nagar.

According to the resident, Pallabh Kumar, "Earlier, effluents used to be released in the nala, but now it has come down. But still people keep throwing heaps of garbage and the stench that emanates from the dirty water has made our lives miserable. The best thing the authorities can do is to have those huge pipes through which the dirty water and waste material can pass, at least there will be no stink in the area," he suggests.

A housewife, Sowmya, suggests that a slab can be laid on the nala and that can be used for parking purpose. "We are staying here for the last five years and each day is hell," she says