Visakhapatnam: Horizontal expansion, fuelled by the increasing population density in the core city, has been driving residents of Visakhapatnam towards the outskirts, in search of serene housing locations.
YLP Layout is one of the independent habitats of the city, located near Senora Beach Resorts in Yendada. But this four-year-old colony still lacks basic amenities. Despite high-rise apartments being in stiff competition with each other, this col-ony is yet to get infrastructure such as roads, a drainage system, water connections, and street lights; and the approach road from the Beach Road to the colony is riddled with potholes.
Occupying a prime location adjoining the Beach Road, the serene environment of the colony holds visitors spellbound, and residents have taken a special interest in maintaining the greenery of the area. But the lack of amenities is a major inconvenience.
Satyanarayana Raju, president of the Valley Front Apartment Residents’ Welfare Association, rued the lack of infrastructure. “Many residents chose the area due to its proximity to the Beach Road, and its calm environment. However, inadequate civic amenities have become a problem for the residents. We have raised these issues with the GVMC officials many times, but it has been in vain. Given the secluded location, the vacant places in the vicinity have also become a haven for youngsters to indulge in drinking and other anti-social activities. We had to request the police to pay more attention,” he said.
Anumolu Srinivasa Rao, a resident of the colony, said that overgrown shrubs and creepers in the adjoining vacant plots had become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. “The lack of street lights and the pothole-ridden approach road have been giving pedestrians and motorists a hard time, especially at night. The road construction work has come to a halt right outside our society for some unknown reason,” he said.
The colony does not have a drainage system either. Cherukuri Prasad, another resident of the colony, said the officials had yet to lay a 60-feet road connecting the colony to Gitam University road, as per the master plan.
