The misconception that we live in a rapidly developing city endowed with all kinds of civic facilities is shattered when you swerve towards the suburbs.
Take the seventh crossroad from Autonagar, the Prasadampadu-to-Autonager Road abutting the APSRTC terminal near Autonagar Gate, also called Solvent Road and it wouldn't be too long before an unbearable stench hits your nostrils.
Chimneys of industrial plants puffing out smoke covering the blue sky, large tracts of this bumpy ‘kutcha' stretch has become an industrial waste dump and surging industrial sewage flows into the side drains.
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Move a few steps further and you realise more filth is in store: people sitting on either side of the road to relieve themselves - a graphic description of the local government's failure.
There is an urgent and inescapable need for the authorities concerned to work in a proactive, integrated, focused and committed manner to assimilate this stretch. The intersecting point at Bandar Road presents a rosy picture as it is a smooth ride.
The black top road gradually turns mucky with heaps of garbage lying on either side. Vacant plots turned into a garbage dumping ground negate the clean image of the nearby areas.
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The foul smell generated by the filth bothers anyone who passes through this road. The plots also attract stray animals that hover around along with the men who relieve themselves. “The dump poses health hazard to people working in the industrial units here. The local authorities have not shown up for ages to clear this garbage,” says Yedukondalu, who works in a rice bran oil factory located along this stretch. Construction of a garbage station in progress by the municipal Corporation on the left side of the path has added to the mess. Water drained out from the site along with the debris is dumped on this road creating a swamp-like structure.
“It's almost a mini swimming pool. You cannot continue your onward journey along with your vehicle. The best option is to take a diversion and go from that side,” advises a passer-by pointing his hand to a different direction.
Enquiries reveal that the sorry state of affairs can be partly attributed to the municipal corporation which failed to complete construction of the Guntutippa drain, leaving it abruptly after covering a small stretch of Autonagar.
The department responsible for laying a road, it is learnt, is waiting for the Corporation to complete the drain works first.