VIJAYAWADA: Despite the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) efforts to put an end to the mosquito menace, situation at the Vasavi Kalyana Mandapam Road in Bhavanipuram is worsening as heaps of garbage accumulated in vacant plots is turning the area into a convenient spot for mosquito breeding.
“Due to the lack of sufficient dumper bins, my neighbours dump their household garbage in the vacant plot next to my residence. The odour not only makes it difficult for students to study, but one cannot even walk adjacent to the plot next to it due to the smell,” K Achyuta Ramaiah, a resident of the nearby locality, said. A complaint was lodged with the VMC’s grievance cell over the issue, but no action was initiated so far, he alleged.
Adding to the residents’ woes, passers-by are often seen urinating in open spaces adjacent to the locality. “The long-pending demand of setting up a public toilet in the area has not been implemented so far. As a result, shopkeepers and commuters who pass through the locality urinate in the drains. We are not able to do anything about this,” V Shravan Kumar, another resident, said.
Lack of proper maintenance of drains, poor streetlight facility, uncleared garbage and stray animals are some of the other problems the locals deal with every day. When contacted, VMC town planning officials admitted that several residents had lodged complaints with the department for not initiating actions against the erring vacant plot owners.
In this regard, town planner Lakshman Rao has recently convened a meeting with the public health and revenue departments seeking their assistance in chalking out an action plan to maintain cleanliness at the vacant plots across the city.
As part of it, the revenue wing officials have submitted a detailed report on status of vacant plots.
Necessary measures will be taken against the erring vacant plot owners and they will be slapped with notices, the officials said.
Responding to the issue of stray dog menace, veterinary officials maintained that civic body has sterilised around 5,000 dogs and would do the same to the remaining in a phased manner.