Tucked away amid the hills

Sriramnagar near Gajuwaka is home to about 2,000 families

A view of Sriramnagar near Gajuwaka in Visakhapatnam. Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

Once the breadwinners head out to their places of work and children to schools, life moves at a snail’s pace at Sriramnagar.

The colony, located near Gajuwaka, which stretches from Vadlapudi railway track to 100-ft. road near GVMC Zonal Office, seems to have a life of its own.

Surrounded by hills and temples of Lord Siva and goddesses Pydithalli, Nookalamma, and Kanaka Durga Devi, apart from a church, the colony is now home to 2,000 families living in absolute harmony. Several apartment blocks are coming up and the independent houses in the area look pretty old.

Area history

The history of the area dates back to 1980. Daily labourers of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant made the hill area their dwelling place, putting together thatched houses. After a couple of years, the land was regularised by the government in a phased manner. However, the colony sprang to life much later when housing loans were made available to its residents.

Initially, the apartment culture was new to the colony. It was in 2007 that the first apartment block, Swarna Plaza, came into existence. Though the Sriramnagar Yuvajana Seva Sangham addresses the colony issues, the neighbourhood yearns for better maintenance.

“A few cement concrete (CC) roads were laid when the colony was under the Gajuwaka Municipality. Once it merged with the GVMC, there was no sign of progress in the area. Municipal water pipes and foundation stone for new CC roads were laid very recently,” says Pappu Sankara Rao, president of the sangham.

Colony residents say the weekly market caters to their kitchen requirement and that children spend time either watching television or reading books.

“With a majority of women in the colony being homemakers, the only way we keep ourselves occupied is through spiritual activities or catching up with the neighbours or viewing favourite TV channels,” says M. Kousalya.

With good spacing provided between houses, the residents enjoy natural light and breeze in abundance. And with each window of the apartment opening out to a magnificent view of the hills, the place seems to be apt for those who wish to lead a calm and peaceful life.