VIJAYAWADA: The roads in Baptist Nagar that witnessed a good flow of traffic are quite deserted these days, thanks to the recent digging activity that has changed the topography of the area. The smooth roads that the locality boasted about have been dug for laying underground drainage pipes. The works are moving at a snail’s pace and roads remain to be unmotorable. A layer of dust encompasses the road users, forcing them shun it. According to residents, the roads have been in an abysmal state for several months, which although has been brought to the notice of the officials and the corporator several times, but no action has been taken in this regard.
Ch Vijaya Rao, a resident of the locality, says the roads are so bad that not a day passed without somebody falling off his or her vehicle. Senior citizens too had slipped and fell, thanks to the poor road condition. “It had become a regular affair for us to travel through the pothole-ridden roads in the locality over the months. On several occasions, the issue was taken to the notice of VMC officials, but they have not taken any steps to redress our grievances,” he said.
‘’The situation has worsened this year as overflowing sewer water goes to drinking water pipeline. We are scared that if the situation persists, the contaminated water may lead to spread of water-borne diseases,’’ said K Rajyalakshmi, a resident. Responding to the complains of the locals, the VMC sanctioned works to re-carpet the road a few months ago. “There was a demand to even remove a water-logging point. So we will call for tenders to repair the entire stretch and not just at the places where the road was dug up. The sanctioned work will begin in a few days,” said VMC chief engineer P Adiseshu.