Visakhapatnam: Residents root for a colony free of pigs

Visakhapatnam: Pigs roaming in and around Surya Nagar, located near V Town police station cause inconvenience and diseases associated with it to the residents.

The colony dates back to 1977 as it was when the pattas to the poor were issued. A decade later, the houses were allotted to them with required infrastructure such as roads and drains. Currently, over 100 families are residing in the neighbourhood.

Despite the availability of roads and drainages in the locality, the residents have to face inconvenience. Roads that were dug up for laying pipeline works remained unevenly covered and are now in a bad condition.

An open drain passing through the colony has turned into a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Also, residents here need to put up with an unbearable stench emanating from it.

"Even though the sanitation staff is cleaning the drainages at regular intervals, we suffer from seasonal diseases because of the presence of pigs in the area," said Rama Lakshmi, a resident of the colony.

Residents say that repair works of roads and drains need attention. "In addition to the repair works for the roads, there is a need to complete drainage repair works in parts of the colony. As soon as the garbage is dumped in the dust bin, pigs create a mess in the locality," said Ch Venkata Reddy, a resident of Surya Nagar.

Further, he said the problem had not been resolved despite repeated complaints to the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation officials. The residents here long for a colony that is free of pigs.