The roads in One Town that have taken a severe beating in the recent rains have become a nightmare for the commuters.
It doesn't need a heavy downpour to worsen the situation caused by the continuing underground drainage works.
Danger zones
Particularly, the stretch from Milk factory to KBN College is the worst-hit, more so because of the underground drainage works taken up nearly two months ago. These works have turned the roads into veritable danger zones.
A similar situation prevails on the roads in Chittinagar and Lambadipet areas, which come under the 31st division. Locals allege these areas have been neglected by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation.
Only one side of the road is now open for traffic, as a major portion of the width has been occupied by the hawkers and shops for their petty businesses.
“The limited road width is not at all adequate for free flow of regular traffic and we witness at least one accident every day,” says S. Ramakrishna, who runs a grocery shop in Chittinagar.
He refers to dust that gathers and rises when sun blazes as another problem.
Though the local people requested the police many a time to post a traffic constable, it has not been conceded, he says.
Gaping potholes
The scenario in front of Sairam theatre amply testifies the attitude of the VMC in dealing with the issue. Here, commuters' woes reach their peak when it rains, as the road stretch turns into a series of gaping potholes and vehicles veer violently.
“The Milk factory-Vaagu centre-KBN College stretch is dreadful to drive.
A drizzle is enough to turn the entire area into a silt-pond and it becomes so difficult for city buses and trucks to move.
These heavy vehicles move dangerously either way while moving ahead on these battered roads,” complains M. Praveen Kumar Reddy, a resident of Bheemanavari Peta.
A visit by the Municipal Commissioner 20 days ago in the area has not yielded any fruitful result, as the contractors have been executing the works at their own speed, he says.
At Lambadipet, roads appear full of pebbles and are in such a bad shape that even commuting in city buses and other heavy vehicle can leave commuters in agony.
“There is no respite for us as the five-feet-deep drain continues to flood because of the accumulated silt. Many representations have been made to the officials but nothing has come of these,” says G. Lakshmidevi, a homemaker in the locality.
