Visakhapatnam: Residents yearn for clean environment

Visakhapatnam: Sri Sai Nagar near Simhachalam is almost two decades old in Visakhapatnam. But till now, basic amenities elude the neighbourhood. Roads are in bad condition and sanitation cries for attention here. Though there are dozen lanes branching out at Sri Sai Nagar, drainage system is yet to be facilitated in the lanes. The roads which have drainage system are not linked to one another. Since the flow of sewage is interrupted at various points, the drain water gets stagnated at open spaces. An open drain runs along the colony.

Residents say that it should be built properly and covered to avoid suffering from seasonal diseases. "This apart, at nights, miscreants gather at some points of the colony and create ruckus after getting drunk. Also, stray dogs menace is another problem we face in the colony. Herds of stray cows and buffaloes roam freely on the roads causing inconvenience to the commuters," says T Venu Gopal, a resident of Sri Sai Nagar.

The colony association representatives submitted a memorandum to GVMC Commissioner to investigate development of roads and drains along with sanitation maintenance of the colony. "A very few sanitation staff are working in the colony. Recently, we (association members) have given representation during the weekly 'Spandana' programme at the corporation about the colony's state of drains and roads. We hope that some remedy would come up soon," says Reddy Ranga Rao, president of Sri Sai Nagar Colony Association. Earlier, the colony people used to fight for gaining access to safe drinking water. Now the battle is for roads and drains.