Vijayawada: Mosquito menace due to poor sanitation stings residents

Vijayawada: YSR Colony located at Jakkampudi village on the outskirts of Vijayawada city has excellent infrastructure facilities like roads and drinking water supply. But the residents suffer due to poor sanitation. Mosquito and pig menace haunt the residents of the colony, which was built and developed by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation during the past 15 years. Over 60,000 people live in the colony.

The VMC had constructed a mega colony under the JNNURM scheme with facilities like roads, street lighting and allotted houses to the residents living on the canal bunds, hilly areas and other places where residents were evicted for the development works taken up by the VMC.

When the colony was constructed there was no adequate supply of drinking water. Gradually the VMC increased drinking water supply to the residents of the colony. The VMC also laid the roads across the colony and these roads are connected to the main road of the Jakkampudi village and Vijayawada city. The biggest problem faced by the residents is pigs wandering in the neighborhood due to poor sanitation.

The mega colony needs proper storm water drainage system so that the water will not be logged on the roads in the rainy season. Due to stagnation of water in the rainy season, the mosquito menace is also very high in the colony.

As VMC failed to control them, the pig menace has become a cause of concern in the neighborhood and thousands of pigs frequent the colony due to poor sanitation. The residents are worried over spreading of diseases like encephalitis because of pigs.

Appala Narsaiah, local resident said the malaria and typhoid cases are rampant in the colony. The PHC in the neighborhood was also closed many months ago.

Though, the APSRTC operates adequate bus services from YSR Colony to various destinations, the bus shelter built in the colony is in dilapidated condition.

The VMC had built scores of residential blocks with each block having 32 portions. Some blocks are facing leakage from the pipeline causing unhygienic conditions near the houses. The State and Central governments and the VMC have contributed for the construction of the mega colony. The residents are demanding the VMC and the district administration to eradicate the pigs.

The colony has one elementary school run by the VMC and high school run by Zilla Parishad. The government has allotted site for prayers to all religions. Temple and mosque are located side by side displaying communal harmony. The colony residents live peacefully respecting the sentiments of other faiths.