VIJAYAWADA: Vijayawada city may have made it to the top 10 list of India’s most livable cities, but the residents of Kovelamudi Vari Street in Suryaraopet feel otherwise. The gravely damaged roads, gravel and mud piled up by the roadside make the lives of residents and passersby equally difficult. The motorists, especially those riding the two-wheelers find driving through the road, at times, difficult.
As the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) had laid drainage pipes there, the road was dug up in the middle, but after the completion of the works the pit that got created on the road was not properly filled up with gravel and mud, not to mention the lack of proper levelling of the road, alleged a resident of the locality. However, though the VMC workmen filled the pit with gravel and mud, as that was below the road level, the depression stayed, making commuting through the road difficult, especially when the monsoon rains submerged the road, making it difficult for the passersby to locate exactly where the depression was.
The residents said that the VMC staff were least bothered to properly fill up the pits that got dug for various works.
R Koteswararao, a resident of Kovelamudi Vari street said, “The road has turned quite dangerous for a smooth ride even on a bicycle and therefore, one can imagine what one riding a two-wheeler will face. The piles of mud and gravel on both the sides of the road are adding to the mosquito population. Moreover, during the day time, when the wind blows, dust particles fly into the eyes, hit the face and hair causing inconvenience for many. During rainy days, the road turns into a mud pool and nightmare for those unaware of the pits on the roads.”
Kovelamudi Vari Street, is close to the Karl Marx Road and the Kotha Vanthena Centre. The street houses about 20 to 30 families and a few major hospitals, such as the Purna Heart Institute.
The poor condition of the road, residents allege, is proving an impediment to smooth movement of vehicles, especially ambulances, thereby denying proper services to the patients, especially during emergencies.
T Srinivas, a passerby said, “The road is in a pathetic condition due to the pits formed after municipal works were completed. Once I almost fell from my bike because of a pit. However, I got saved as I could apply the brakes on time. The officials should do a proper check and then fix the road.”
However, attempts made by TNIE to get the VMC superintending engineer, Adiseshu’s response to the complaints made by the local residents failed, as he did not respond to this reporter’s phone call.