VIJAYAWADA: Residents of Nagavaram village in Krishna district are facing hardships due to inadequate infrastructure, including poor road connectivity, drinking water crisis, limited transportation, and inadequate medical services. The village is split between two Assembly constituencies, two mandals, and two panchayats, resulting in a lack of accountability, with no leader or official taking responsibility for the issues.
The jurisdictional split has caused confusion and inaction, with 200 of the 350 families in the village falling under Mukkolu Panchayat of Guduru mandal in Pedana constituency, while the remaining 150 families are part of Vemavaram Panchayat, Gudlavalleru mandal of Gudivada constituency. This division has hampered efforts to address the village’s common problems effectively.
One of the major concerns is the lack of educational infrastructure. The only government primary school in the village was closed and merged with an Urdu school, forcing students to travel six kilometres to Kautavaram or Vadlamannadu for high school education. College students must go to Gudlavalleru or Pedana towns. While a private school bus from Pedana operates, most students have to walk three kilometres to catch it due to the absence of proper road connectivity. “The road problem affects us the most,” said local resident Karra Veerababu. “When it rains, the gravel road becomes impassable, causing accidents and injuries to children on their way to school. We request Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan to help pave a proper road.”
Villagers must walk several kilometres from Vemavaram to reach the village, as auto drivers refuse to enter, citing the poor condition of the roads. This poses difficulties for the elderly and pregnant women in need of medical care.
“Groundwater in the village has turned salty. Women are forced to walk at least a kilometre to fetch water from wells. Though water is supplied through street taps every two days, it is not drinkable. We urge the authorities to provide safe drinking water,” said senior citizen Daram Pushpavathi.Daram Suresh, a resident, urged the CM to unify the village under one panchayat and mandal to simplify administration and resolve local issues. He highlighted that split jurisdiction allows officials to evade responsibility.
In response, Krishna Collector DK Balaji said road issues will be addressed through the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), and the drinking water problem would be resolved through the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scheme. Despite several representations to officials and the Deputy CM, villagers are still awaiting concrete action to improve infrastructure and bring relief to their struggling community.