Interestingly, the residents of Gullalapalem VUDA Colony near Sriharipuram appear to be the health conscious lot. There are four children parks with a few amusement rides and one big park with walking and cycling tracks where the colony people make their way to workout in the morning and in the evening.
Though there is hardly any trace of greenery, the park at the entrance of the colony is the main source of entertainment for the residents. The other park, which the members of the Allottees and Residential Welfare Association propose to develop, is waiting for a new look. “We plan to convert it into a common park with entertainment zones for both children and adults. Despite the Department of Sports sanctioning Rs.55 lakh for its development, the renovation process has been kept on hold due to bifurcation of the State for the last eight months,” says K. Bangar Raju, one of the residents.
With efficient garbage maintenance by the GVMC and round-the-clock service provided by the Malkapuram police, there are hardly any major thefts reported by the colony residents so far.
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However, the kalyana mandapam, maintained by GVMC, continues to be in a bad shape for the last four years. The residents say they used to host weddings and special occasions at the venue where the package is quite budget-friendly. “In one of the public meetings, former Union Minister Daggupati Purandeswari announced that she would be releasing funds under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme and join hands with the GVMC to give a new facelift to the mandapam. However, nothing much has been done till date,” says M. Gopala Rao, president of the Allottees Residential Welfare Association.
Except a few unsettling issues, the encroachment-free colony hardly has any serious problem to deal with.