Visakhapatnam: Wide roads, a hub for anti-social activities

Visakhapatnam: The VUDA-developed Sitaramaraju Nagar is over five-decade-old. Though wide roads form a part of the colony, they have not only become dilapidated but also turn out to be a hub for anti-social activities.

As soon as darkness takes over the settlement in the evenings, some of the stretches in the locality become creepy. Miscreants take charge right on the roads by parking their vehicles. While some of them get drunk, many of them indulge in eve-teasing. "They also indulge in ganja abuse. There is a need to keep a strict vigil on the miscreants as they have become a big nuisance for the residents. Earlier, we have also come across chain-snatching incidents while passing along the roads," says Mandapati Srinivas Raju, president of the residents' welfare association (RWA).

Though the police deploy teams to the locality whenever a complaint is lodged, residents here seek a permanent solution to fix the problems faced due to the increasing presence of miscreants at Sitaramaraju Nagar.

The colony that has close to 500 families does not have proper roads. Owing to age, they are now in a bad shape. A park serves as a recreation centre for the residents who frequent it. However, it remains to be developed.

Sharing details of the recent development in the area, ward corporator and RWA secretary Bommidi Ramana, says, "Two major roads have been sanctioned for Sitaramaraju Nagar. Very soon, tenders will be called for the project. Similarly, steps will also be taken to develop the park in the locality."

A bypass road that passes through the neighbourhood leads to a heavy traffic flow during peak hours both in the morning and evening. "Unauthorised parking is another major problem we face on a daily basis here and we appeal to the officials concerned to resolve the issue at the earliest," mentions P Ramu, a resident and treasurer of the RWA.