VISAKHAPATNAM: The onset of monsoon have the clogged drains in low-lying areas in GVMC limits overflowing. Lack of proper maintenance has led to the problem, allege residents of Chinna Waltair, adding that stagnant water poses a threat of spread of viral infections.
The narrow lanes of Chinawaltair are occupied by fruit vendors, oil mills, a mosque and a temple and medical shops. Entering the small lanes where tailors and departmental stores are located, the drains are completely clogged with plastic waste and they turn worse in rainy season.
The shopkeepers doing business seem to be the victims of viral infections. While the drains are clogged with plastic waste, nearby tiffin centre dumps waste into the drains.
With the low-lying areas, drains in small lanes, including Netaji Street, are clogged with waste and drain water overflows.
“This is the situation for many weeks, it becomes worse when it rains heavily and drain water overflows on the road in the street. We try to keep our surroundings clean everyday, but how can we stop overflow of drains during rainy season,” said a resident of Netaji Street.
The children in the surrounding areas suffer from mosquito-borne diseases since the drains are not being cleared regularly.
Residents in the area are scared of the situation on the days when there is heavy rain. According to the residents, whenever the waste is cleared from the drains, it is piled up on the sides of the lane for at least a day. By next day, some people dump waste at the same place, spreading stink in the locality.
Lack of proper maintenance of municipal water pipelines is another problem. They have to take water from the leaking pipe, which is connected near the drainage.
“It is like this since the beginning of summer. Water pipeline leaks and water goes waste continuously. So we have arranged a small pipe to it and are using the water regularly, In some lanes, caps fixed to the pipes to plug leakages are removed, resulting in water flowing on the roads,” a resident.