Sandwiched between Kommadi and Bakkannapalem, Revvallapalem in Madhurawada is an 80-year-old neighbourhood where more than 4,000 people have been living for years. The early settlers say that the place was once a home for Nagaralu community.
There are layers of history attached to the colony. Earlier, Revvallapalem was surrounded by a couple of rain-fed streams which provided a perfect setting for farmers to grow millets and cereals. “This apart, the area had a couple of wells which used to cater to the needs of the colony people where farming used to be their main occupation. However, with rapid urbanisation giving way to the fast-paced vertical growth, natural stream flows were badly affected and remained only in the pages of history,” recalls Pilla Appadu, an 80-year-old resident of the colony.
For years the area was under panchayat. During the last decade, it was merged with GVMC and the residents have a reason to cheer. “Our dependence on groundwater with high fluoride content has gradually come down as GVMC has been supplying drinking water for the last few months,” says Vijaya Lakshmi, a homemaker.
However, what remains to be unchanged over several years is the pathetic condition of the roads in the area. One has to literally remain standstill whenever a vehicle passes through the lane as it seems to be tailor-made for just a four-wheeler to go. Imagine the plight of the commuters when city buses ply on these cramped lanes.
Urbanisation
Residents say that except the rapid urbanisation culture that is fast catching up, nothing much has been done in terms of development per se. “In spite of the slow growth, many people prefer to reside here due to economical rental rates. The rent for a decent two-bedroom flat is less than Rs.3,000 which turns out to be cost-effective especially for middle income groups. This is one of the main reasons why several teachers, lecturers and working class prefer to stay in Revvallapalem,” explains V.S. Patnaik, a retired manager of Hindustan Shipyard Limited, who preferred to stay in the colony post retirement.
People prefer to stay in the colony as rentals are low
V.S. Patnaik
A resident
