VMC Commissioner agrees to change plan to suit people's needs

The wall coming up acrossNarlavariveedhi close to BRTS Road inVijayawada. Photo: Ch.Vijaya Bhaskar.

The seven-day relay hunger strike by political parties and local people, and the subsequent bandh call have forced the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation to change its plan to suit the demands of people for free flow of traffic on Narlavariveedhi towards Machavaram.

The BRTS Road, which blocked the movement of traffic between Madhura Nagar on the one side and Machavaram Down on the other, was vehemently opposed by the local people, triggering protests.

However, much to their satisfaction, Municipal Commissioner G. Ravi Babu agreed to change the plan by providing a ramp on either side for the free flow of vehicular traffic – especially the two wheelers.

“The Commissioner said he would build a ramp of 15 feet width and 30 feet length atop the concrete wall that is being constructed across the Naralavariveedhi. He also said a small ramp would be built to link the Ryve's Canal Bridge with BRTS Road to enable the vehicles to cross over to the other side,” said CPI(M) leader C. Raju.

With this proposal, the motorists can use both the roads – the one on the left side that goes to the Padavalarevu and the other that passes over the wall towards Machavaram.

Original plan

As per the original plan of the newly-constructed six-lane BRTS Road, the engineers proposed to block the traffic on Narlavariveedhi by sprucing up a wall and providing a road on the left side to reach the Padavalarevu.

“The plan throws normal life haywire as it becomes difficult to reach Madhura Nagar from Machavaram, as the motorists would have to take a roundabout route of 5 km via Chuttugunta to reach Madhura Nagar and the adjacent colonies through Alluri Seetharama Raju Bridge,” said former corporator Meesala Rajeswara Rao.

Mr. Sankar, a local businessman, said the Commissioner clarified that the old bridge would not be closed even after completion of the new bridge and the 50,000-odd locals would not be put to hardship.

Owners worried

Meanwhile, owners of three houses on the right side of the Narlavariveedhi are keeping their fingers crossed as their houses would be razed by the civic officials as the BRTS Road passes through their dwellings.

“We have approached court and got a stay order. We have asked for certain amount as compensation but the government is not heeding to our demands,” said Siva Sankar Rao, who is residing in one of the houses since 1957.

Many felt the civic authorities and engineers should have anticipated the local protest and modified the plan earlier, thus saving a lot of time.