Scant parking space irks residents, visitors

Adarsh Nagar: The rise of vehicular traffic over the years has put the residents living near the Birla Mandir area to trouble. With Birla Mandir and BM Birla Science Museum, two of the top ten tourist spots in Telangana, being 300 mts away there is a lot of demand for parking in the area.

It has become common for the residents in and around the area to wake up to the honking of cars and motor bikes. Adarsh Nagar Colony, Naubath Pahad, Venkateswara Colony and Sanjay Gandhi Nagar have been affected by the rise in tourism. The two tourist spots draw nearly 4,000 to 5,000 visitors every day and at least of 7,000 to 8,000 visitors in the peak days.

"We have no problem with tourism, nor do we have a problem with the flow of traffic in the colony, but we just want it to be in control. We never had a traffic issue 20 years ago. It is impossible for the residents to get out of their homes on a weekend because of the high traffic," said Badam Shanti kumar, secretary at Adarshnagar Welfare Society.

Birla Mandir was built in 1976 and the science museum in 1983. While the number of visitors has increased, the facilities for parking have remained the same. "As it is a complete residential area, it is obvious to see children running around, but we are no longer sure about their safety, and the same is the case with the elders. Nearly 50% of the pilgrims go back unable to get though the traffic" said Shanti Kumar.

"The crossroads that connects the colony, Birla Mandir and the museum has an auto stand and it adds to the chaos. A minimum of 800 to 1,000 cars visit these tourist spots, but only 80 vehicles can be accommodated in the parking space. The remaining cars are parked in the colony. For this, the only solution is to allot a traffic check post," said Santosh, a resident.

"As it is an old construction, the roads are still 30 to 35 ft, same as in 1967, and the population has increased over 200%. Only if the government strictly prohibits parking on roads, something around here will change," said Mamata, a resident.