Visakhapatnam: Official Colony for 'namesake'

Visakhapatnam: Located close to Gajuwaka zonal office, Official Colony is the place where people have to put up with dust pollution.

A fleet of lorries, trucks and other vehicles ply along the colony to carry industrial material and products. Since this area is known to be an industrial hub, most vehicles that pass along the colony carry the material required for a number of industries that are located in and around the neighbourhood. It is only for the namesake, the Official Colony sounds good. But, people here are mired with a host of issues.

An open drain runs along the locality. During rainy season, the sewage overflows and trickles down to the road. Residents say that the place has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and that they have to put up with a constant stink that emanates from the drain. "There is a need to raise a drainage wall so that inundation could be stopped during rainy season.

Also, the area has become so polluted that we suffer allergies due to the constant coat of dust that settles in our home," says A Mohan Rao, president of the colony welfare association. Following the UGD works, many roads have become uneven. Residents ask for completing the patchwork along these roads. They say that the road problem has been brought to the notice of Municipal Commissioner, MLA and local corporator.

They appeal to the officials concerned to look into their problems and resolve them at the earliest. Talking to The Hans India, Residents Welfare Association secretary ML Naidu and treasurer V Malleswara Reddy mention that there should be diversion of traffic in order to minimise the pollution problem that makes the colony people suffer.

Colony people say that the place is frequented by pigs and measures should be taken to keep the neighbourhood free of them. Along with the roads, some parts of drains have also become obsolete and cry for attention. At the entrance of the colony, Sampath Vinayaka temple is where several spiritual activities take place. But the stink that emanates from the drain causes inconvenience to the devotees who visit at the shrine.