VIJAYAWADA: Even though the Night Shelter run by Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is a stone’s through away, the tunnel at Chitti Nagar, which was renovated recently at a cost of Rs 40 lakh, has become a favourite haunt for destitutes.
The tunnel connecting Chitti Nagar with Vidhyadharapuram has become a haven for antisocial elements as well as the homeless over the years. Past midnight, the poor, vagrants and antisocial elements hit the sack on the pavements and cause much inconvenience to the pedestrians. A few months ago, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu took a whirlwind tour across the city and directed the civic body authorities to beautify the tunnel so that the passage through it for motorists and passersby would be a pleasant experience. However, the destitutes maintained that they became addicted to alcohol after they were driven away by their family members. “The organisers at the Night Shelter prevent our entry because we are alcoholics. As a result, we find the tunnel an ideal place to sleep,” they said.
According to officials, as part of the city beautification project, the civic body has spent about ` 40 lakh for installing LED lights, paintings on the walls and building pedestrian paths on both sides of the tunnel. A month ago, the engineering department officials also installed a central lighting system which gives a bright look to the tunnel, they said.
Speaking to TNIE on Monday, VMC Urban Community Development (UCD) Officer MVV Satyanarayana said that for many years, the destitutes have found the tunnel a cosy place because they get leftover food in the night from people. A few weeks ago, the civic body conducted a special drive and shifted the destitutes to the nearby Night Shelter. However, they are back to their old ways — getting drunk and roaming the streets by the day and sleeping in the tunnel by night, he said.
The UCD officer recalled the instances when the destitutes attacked the civic body staff for shifting them to the night shelter.