VIJAYAWADA: The historic city of Machilipatnam is fast losing its charm, turning into a dust-ridden and unhygienic urban centre due to poor maintenance and civic neglect.
Despite being a district headquarters, the city is struggling with encroached roads, uncollected garbage, plastic waste, and overflowing drains, with several areas resembling dumping yards.
Basic sanitation remains a major concern, as the absence of adequate public toilets continues to inconvenience thousands of daily commuters, students, and visitors, reflecting glaring gaps in essential civic infrastructure.
The situation is particularly alarming given that the city functions under the Machilipatnam Municipal Corporation, yet basic amenities remain grossly inadequate.
The city, which had a population of around 1.69 lakh as per the 2011 Census, is now estimated to have grown to about 2.52 lakh.
Though it was upgraded to a municipal corporation nearly a decade ago from a special grade municipality, the expected improvement in civic infrastructure is yet to be realised.
Large stretches of roads across the town are encroached upon by informal businesses and street vendors, leaving little space for smooth movement of traffic and pedestrians.
Many roads are covered with dust, plastic waste, and uncollected garbage, making them resemble dumping yards rather than public thoroughfares. The lack of a systematic waste management mechanism has worsened the situation, with nearly 83.65 metric tonnes of waste generated daily. Adding to the civic woes, stray cattle freely roam the streets, contributing to unhygienic conditions with dung and foul odour becoming a common sight.
In several localities, drainage systems are either clogged or poorly maintained, leading to frequent overflows and stagnant water. These conditions not only inconvenience residents but also pose serious public health risks.