Between Lalitha Colony and Rednam Gardens, just adjacent to the Jail Road, lies a closely knit neighbourhood - Gollalapalem.
Here, for hundreds of years, Yadavas have been engaged in cattle rearing and livestock breeding. Though a majority of people have switched to other business ventures, the oldest settlement still has traces of a rural setting.
As one steps into the cluttered lanes of the neighbourhood, residents were seen sitting on the concrete benches built in the shaded section of the front yard while dozens of people mill around, sipping a cup of tea.
Gollalapalem, a tiny settlement that consists of more than 300 houses, is a place where hundreds have been living together for generations.
The 150-year-old Ramalayam, R.T. Club and Reading Room were some of the favourite zones of the locals. “For several years, the area was dotted with thatched huts. The semi-urban culture started trickling in only over the past few decades,” says K. Devi, a resident who has been living in Gollalapalem for the last 20 years.
Festivals and carnivals bring the colony people together in a cohesive manner. Though the locals embraced the much awaited underground drainage facility initiated in the recent past, the tide began to turn from that moment. “The UGD system has been remaining defunct ever since its inception. In addition to this, bandicoots dig holes into the drains, damaging the sewer pipes and blocking the sewage channels. Even the sanitary workers who visit the place occasionally are not bothered to clear the drains despite our repeated requests. These clogged drains have become a breeding ground for mosquitoes,” says P. Vinod Kumar, a businessman in the colony.
Reconstruction of roads and a complete makeover of UGD system are the main issues that need to be addressed in Gollalapalem.
Zone III Commissioner Bapi Raju; Mobile No: 9848882593; Helpdesk No: 0891-2707299.
