Daspalla Hills: Posh locality manifests communal harmony
The area was covered with mango and cashew orchards which later gave way to high-rise buildings.
Visakhapatnam: A home for the who’s who of the city, the Daspalla Hills in Visakhapatnam bears a testimony to the transformation of the city over the years.
One of the posh localities in the city, it wears quite a model colony outlook, setting the tone for the to-be Smart City. Once covered with mango and cashew orchards, the area evolved into an affluent colony down the years with best-of-class social infrastructure, while still maintaining its stillness.
Tracing the history of the colony, Isarapu Satyanarayana, an old-timer, gave intriguing insights into the formation and transformation of the colony, how the colony has been named after the Daspalla princes and how Mr. Rajah Purna Chandra Deo Bhanj contributed towards the construction of the Jagannath temple under the aegis of the Utkal Sankrutika Samaj.
“The outlook of the colony took a drastic turn over the last 2-3 decades with many high-rise buildings springing up along the colony,” he added.
Proximity to all the social infrastructure, superior civic amenities and greenery make the colony a favourite among the people.
The efforts of the residents are clearly palpable in maintaining the greenery and cleanliness, illuminating the beauty of the colony. Explaining the voluntary activities of the residents, Mr. Satyanarayana informed that the residents take up the Swachh Bharat activities every now and then. “Some also took up the tree planting and watering activities in the colony,” he added.
Mr. Satyanarayana complained about a narrow stretch on the main road of the colony, which has become an accident-prone zone because of its steep curve. He asked officials to lay a speed breaker.