A closer view of the hill, less traffic movement, and tranquillity drew many residents to Radhakrishna Nagar in Balayya Sastry Layout Extension.
From a farmland to a residential area, over the years, the locality has bloomed into a beautiful colony with tastefully built houses, a yoga centre, known as Velama Bhavan, a few shops scattered here and there and, of course, ample stretches of greenery.
Except a row of buildings that line the 80-ft. road, most lanes in the colony have a sloping terrain.
In 1972, the cost of a 400 sq yard piece of land was just Rs.3,000 here. Today, the price of a sq yard of land is above Rs.50,000.
“We never thought that the land value would shoot up so much over the years. The place gained popularity when Radhakrishna, one of the site owners, was instrumental in getting the layout approved by the VUDA. Hence, the colony was named after him,” explains P.S.N. Murthy, a retired pharmacist.
A few years ago, the view was breathtaking as the rainwater stream passes through the hills, charming many nature lovers.
‘Dream come true’“It was like a dream come true for us to stay close to nature and enjoy the scenic beauty of Simhachalam hills along with the watercourse (‘dhara’). However, due to lack of rain, the stream has eventually disappeared,” says Narendra Babu, who has been residing in the colony for the last eight years.
The GVMC is taking care of the colony’s maintenance and people have no complaints as far as water supply and streetlights are concerned.
“For a person like me, the locality is most preferred as I don’t have to commute much to procure any kind of stuff outside. But for those who have to move around frequently, the scenario is different, as they have to navigate through the steep lanes even for an autorickshaw,” says G. Padma, one of the residents.
