Krishnanagar loses serenity

Visakhapatnam: Located near the zilla parishad junction, the Krishnanagar colony in Visakhapatnam stands a testimony to how the unabated urbanisation could take its toll on the distinct character of an area. A modest colony - which was inhabited mainly by the Brahmin community and offered tranquillity and serenity to its residents until the early 1990s - has now reduced to an unofficial hospital zone rather than a residential locality.

With the foray of hospitals, nursing homes, laboratories and lodges into the colony, the area is caught in traffic snarls and development paradox. M.V. Ramana, an old-timer of the colony, took a trip down the memory lane and explained how the colony used to be a preferred locality to the cream of the city given its civic amenities as well as lifestyle factor associated with it.

"It was only after 1980s, the hospitals and nursing homes have ventured into the colony, disrupting the calmness of the location. As a direct consequence, the traffic snarls as well as congestion have hit the locals," he added.

Now, the colony is a mix of century-old bungalows, individual houses as well as high-rise apartments competing for the attention of visitors. The Krishna temple near the ZP junction draws a huge number of devotees everyday.

All lanes of the colony consist at least a handful of clinics and nursing home making the colony look like a dedicated hospital zone. Some residents complained of narrowed drainages in some lanes of the colony.

Located on the other side of the colony, facing the Beach Road, are the Hawa Mahal and Andhra University Women’s Hostel. After the formation of Andhra Pradesh, a nurses’ training school and the first women’s college in Visakhapatnam were run from the Hawa Mahal during 60s and 70s.

S.K. Shajahan, a resident of the colony for the last 30 years, said: "As the colony turned into a commercial location, the colony has lost its appeal among the residents. The colony enjoys good social infrastructure and connectivity to the city. But the increasing traffic congestion has become an issue for the residents," he added.