Civic amenities worse in Anantapur

Anantapur: Mud and marshy roads, poor or no lighting and absence of drainage in the extended areas of Anantapur city welcomes residents and visitors to the residential colonies in TV tower area, JNTU-Raptadu road, Bellary road, Kalyandurg road, Ramnagar 80 feet road and connected interior roads, where affluent people live in mansions. But there are no well laid concrete or cement roads, except mud-roads and marshy pathways.

Very few electrical lights are visible and most of the street lighting is burnt off and after 7 pm pitch darkness welcomes people. There are no drains as such water used in houses flow on the road presenting a dirty picture on the civic front.

Rama Naidu, a contractor living in JNTUA area, said all the residents living in extended areas in municipal limits are tax payers, but there is nil development during the past 10 years. Only during civics elections, political leaders can be seen visiting residential colonies and promising heavens if they are elected, but after the elections, all promises are forgotten, he bemoaned.

A housewife, Rajyalakshmi lamented that it was very difficult for them to walk on the marshy roads when it rains. ‘Many will slip, slide and break their legs walking on the slippery roads, yet our woes are only a far cry and none bothers about us,’ she muttered.

Same is the position in Bellary Road, Prashanthinagar, Janasakti Nagar, Gayatri Nagar, Pilligundla Nagar, Nandamuri Nagar, Kovvur Nagar, Azad Nagar and Syndicate Nagar areas.

When contacted, civic authorities replied that the civic body is in a precarious financial position with barely making it for paying staff salaries.