Visakhapatnam: At a time when Vizag is fast transforming into a smart city, the senior residents of Sivajipalem are still nostalgic about farming and cattle-herding for which the colony was once famous for. A sleepy colony till the 1970s, primarily, comprising of farmers and milk producers, the area has evolved into a prime residential location over the years but a few civic issues are there to haunt the colony like frequent blockage of underground drainage system and water scarcity during summer months.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Pyla Diwakar, a resident of the colony, complained about an overflowing drain near the Varasiddhi Vinayaka temple due to ongoing culvert works. “The drain water has been stagnant over the last one week with unbearable stench emanating from it. But the officials haven’t taken any measures to clear it and it has become a breeding ground for the mosquitoes,” Mr. Raju added.
K. Venkata Giri, vice-principal of the Presidency Degree College, said stray cattle have destroyed the trees that were planted on the road median adjacent to the colony that runs towards the national highway. Andhra University Women’s Engineering College, as well as Delta Institute of the varsity and other buildings of AU, are located near the colony in addition to the Credai Office. The Lord Ganesh temple, Lord Anjaneya temple and Saibaba temples located near the colony also draw huge crowd to the colony. P. Mahesh and Botta Venkata Ramana complained that some residents are illegally tapping water from the GVMC water pipelines with electrical motors, leading to water shortage for other residents in the colony.
Kilani Tatarao and Duvvi Venkata Ramana, senior residents of the colony, informed the underground drainage gets blocked every now and then. “As the area’s topography is hilly, the water supply has been inconsistent to various households in the colony, “they added. The area, which falls into the 16th ward of the city, is surrounded by Peetalavanipalem, Rajeev Nagar, Balarama Nagar and Pithapuram Colony and is a home to about at least 5,000 families.
V. Kanaka Raju, another resident of the old colony, informed that as many outsiders came into the colony in the last few years, there has been a great shift in the social fabric of the colony. However, the residents in the colony remain united, in case of exigencies.
