VIJAYAWADA: Passing through the lanes of Suryaraopet has become a nightmare for commuters and pedestrians for more than two months.
According to residents of Dasarivari Street, the street was dug up by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) two months ago to lay pipelines as part of the underground drainage (UGD) works. While the pipes have been laid, the authorities failed to promptly restore the roads. The dug up portions were not levelled properly and the debris, too, was not cleared, posing a major safety threat for motorists and locals alike.
Navigating through the pothole-ridden roads filled with pebbles and stones has become a daunting task, with two-wheelers often losing balance and cars suffering damages, locals rued. Excessive dust from the roads has also been a constant irritant for residents.
“I don’t know why the road was dug up, but the debris has not been cleared. A girl was driving and her car hit some of the debris, causing the tire to burst. As a resident, I am facing a lot of difficulty with the dust,” Ramu Katragadda, a local, said.
People have been demanding the VMC to take swift action to clear the debris and restore the road.
Responding to the issue, VMC commissioner Swapnil Dinakar Pundkar said works for re-laying the roads will start soon under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme.
“When we dig roads for any purpose, we fill the portion and leave it for two weeks to allow the soil to settle. Following this, we move ahead with road restoration, which typically takes 15 days to a month to complete. We will restore all the dug up roads under the AMRUT scheme,” the civic body chief added.
Stating that the VMC has already started executing the underground drainage project in phases across the city, Pundkar explained, “We are planning to provide 100% UGD coverage in the city. This will prevent sewage from entering the drains. Once the flow of sewage into the drains is controlled, it will help manage stagnation problems, further reducing mosquito issues.”