Vijayawada: Indiranagar is proof of civic apathy

Vijayawada: Indiranagar Colony is a perfect example of all things wrong in the state. Every day, residents of the colony struggle to cope with issues like absence of a proper drainage system, pothole-riddled roads, stagnating water, non-working streetlights and, most irritatingly, swarms of mosquitoes. This is a far cry from what the colony once was, a well-planned residential, with well-established civic amenities.

Mrs Swathi, a resident, said drains in Indiranagar Colony  appear to be continuously blocked, going by the sewage that almost perpetually flows onto the roads and stagnating. “The roads are the worst in the city. They are more of ditches and potholes deep enough to deter people, especially kids from going out for a ride on their bicycles during the leisure time,” Mrs Swathi said.Two-wheelers skidding and their drivers falling is a common phenomenon, she said.

The situation turns worse during the rainy season. “The roads in our colony are made of mud, not cement or black-topped. A brief spell of rain is enough to leave them uneven. The interval between lodging a complaint with civic authorities and its solution is huge, a resident said.

Mr Gangadhar, a businessman, said that the stench raised due to stagnation of the water and dumping of the garbage is so overpowering that it is difficult to even breathe. “Besides, mosquitoes and files bother us and they also spread disease. We can’t even open our doors or windows for fresh air as mosquitoes then invade our homes,” he said.

Ravi Kishan, another resident, said the colony doesn’t even have proper streetlights. “Some of them are working while others are defunct. Commuters suffer a lot at nights. People have to drive with utmost care as streetlights don’t work and the roads are death traps,” he said.