Pothole-ridden roads give a hip-breaking experience to motorists

Visakhapatnam: From the moment they step out of their homes to the time they reach the National Highway-16 which is close to their locality, residents of Jyothi Nagar in Marripalem have to pass through the pothole-ridden roads.

The colony layout was developed 25 years back. Today, it has a population of 4,000 people wherein most of them are employed in government sectors.

Situated between NH-16 and State Highway, a number of motorists pass through the colony to reach various destinations on a daily basis.

Even those residing in the neighbouring localities need to commute via the colony to reach offices, educational institutions and other places. As a result, the road, located between NH-16 and State Highway in particular, is one of the busiest paths in Jyothi Nagar. However, with each passing day, the most frequented road in the area has become worse.

Residents here say that they brought the issue of bad roads to the notice of the concerned officials. "But till now, there has been no response from them. Though there are no major civic problems per se in the neighbourhood, bad roads continue to give a hip-breaking experience for the motorists. In some of the streets, the Jyothi Nagar Residents' Welfare Colony Association took up temporary repair works to fix a few potholes," says KRVN Kumar, association president.

Another issue in the colony that needs attention is repair work of the main drain that passes along the colony.

As far as sanitation is concerned, the colony paints a clean picture. Similarly, a well-maintained drainage system is another added advantage the residents speak about. When it comes to the development activities, the association representatives seek the guidance of honorary president of the RWA K Narayana Reddy.

During festival time, the association essays an active part in organising various programmes involving communities. "Even in times of the coronavirus pandemic, the RWA members paid a special attention on maintaining the neighbourhood spic and span by spraying bleaching powder and following other safety protocols," says S Ravi Kumar, secretary of the colony's association.

Residents of Jyothi Nagar hope that the officials concerned would come to their aid in fixing the potholes problem and taking up the repair work of the main drain at the earliest.