Visakhapatnam: Residents suffer from mosquito-borne diseases quite often

Visakhapatnam: Close to Visakhapatnam Airport, Viman Nagar paints a picture of serenity. The neighbourhood has amenities such as wide roads, ample greenery and drainage facility.

Viman Nagar Residents Welfare Association plays a proactive role in taking up development works in the neighbourhood. They include, setting up of signboards, tree plantation and development of Vaikuntha Venkateswara Swamy temple, among others. Despite the infrastructure, the colony faces several civic issues.

The neighbourhood started developing in the 1990s and is now a home for 3,000 people. The uncovered sewer drain that runs along the colony poses a threat to the residents. The open drain has turned into a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Also, residents here need to put up with an unbearable stench emanating from it.

Dengue, malaria and other diseases affect the residents of Viman Nagar quite often. "Because of the open drainage system, mosquito-borne diseases are common to us. Despite our repeated representation to the corporation officials to cover the drain, no action has been taken so far," explains G Subba Rao, a committee member of Viman Nagar Residents Welfare Association.

Since there is no protection wall facilitated for the drain, accidents appear to be a common feature here. "Many a time, auto-rickshaws and other vehicles slip into the drain as there is no wall that stops them from falling into it. It is even riskier when kids play around and they too have slipped into it accidentally," says M Annapurna, a colony resident.

The roads and drains were laid long back and they now require repair works in some of the stretches.

The residents say that they approached the officials concerned to set up a park near the vacant land of the neigbourhood. "There are several senior citizens and children residing in the colony. Establishing a park in the colony will certainly provide relief to them," says M Satyanarayana, president of the colony association.

After a prolonged struggle for a bus stop near the main road, the officials established a shelter. "However, the buses do not halt here. We want the officials to look into the issue and resolve the problem with immediate effect. Also, there is a need to lay speed breakers to control speeding vehicles that pass through the colony," shares V Prabhavathi, secretary of the association and AIDWA leader.

During the rainy season, the overflowing drain water gets into the houses posing a risk to the residents.