Vijayawada: Residents face trouble, tension

Vijayawada: Heavy rains over the last two days due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal area have exposed the unpreparedness of the city for such an eventuality.

A majority of the drains in different parts of the city were seen blocked. Rain water flooded most of the city streets on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. Roads, with the situation bad in Mogalrajapuram and Machavaram looked like lakes with rain water that had no way of draining away.

Continuous rains created many problems for the citizens. Officials from Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) are concentrating on clearing blocked drains on the main roads. They were, however, neglecting the colonies where residents have been facing problems with stagnated water. 

Colonies like Guru-nanak Nagar, Siddharth-anagar and others were facing severe mosquito menace because of the blocked drains and the continuous rains adding to the woes.

“Colony roads are turning worse from bad getting damaged with the continuous rains. Water stagnated in potholes on roads was inconveniencing motorists while  becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes,” says Gottipati Ravi Krishna, resident of Siddhartha Nagar.

“Officials from the public health wing of VMC have been conducting round the clock checks to clear drains. 

Sanitation and public health wing officials were monitoring the situation under the directions of  municipal commissioner. 

“Special teams have been formed to clear blocked drains without causing unnecessary inconvenience to public. We have also focused on sanitation  in colonies as stagnated rainwater can promote breeding of  mosquitoes. Stagnant water  will be cleared in a day or two,” says VMC Chief Medical & Health Officer Gopi Naik.

Residents of hilly terrains in the city were worried because of the hilly terrain. “They are scared that huge boulders may roll down and injure them or cause damage.”

Saka Yesubabu, a resident of Gangiredla Dibba in the city, says, “With the rains, mud under huge boulders on the hill is washed away causing the rocks to roll down possibly on our houses. VMC Mayor and ruling party leader promised to construct protection wall on top of hill. They have, in fact been ignoring our problems.”