Korlagunta road widening works nearing completion

Tirupati: The widening of the much congested narrow Korlagunta road has become a reality with the completion of expansion of the road nearing completion. With the widening of the 750-metre long road almost completed, the Corporation authorities are gearing up for taking up the construction of drains on both sides and also providing tap connections and

underground drainage system (UDS) to the 195 houses which were partly demolished for the widening affecting the drains, drinking water and UDS connections.

Sources revealed that the political will in the sense, city MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, deputy mayor Bhumana Abhinaya Reddy and the elected members of the municipal council saw the residents voluntarily

taking up the demolition of their houses for widening the road.

The Corporation on its party readily agreed to issue TDR (transferable development rights) bonds to the 195 residents making the widening go smoothly and completed in a short time of three months, expanding 10 ft on both sides.

A shopkeeper Basavaiha said the widening of Korlagunta road was proposed during NTR period, 30 years back but the resistance from the residents coupled with elaborate procedure of land acquisition involving huge cost deterred the authorities from taking up the widening. At last the long pending widening benefitting half dozen thickly populated localities, was over, he said, lauding MLA and others for the swift completion of the widening. Nowshad, a chicken shop owner, said in case of emergencies even the ambulance and fire service cannot come to the rescue of the residents as the road was narrow - only 12-15 ft and always crowded as it was the link to the main city and also to RTC and Railway station.

The residents of the localities were all these years silently bearing the pain which at last was going to end soon, revealing the elation of the residents on the expansion of the road. Municipal Corporation Commissioner Anupama Anjali said that efforts were on to make the widened road ready in two months and added that construction of drains and tap and UDS connection will be taken up on war footing completing all aspects of the widening.Meanwhile, Corporation sources informed that buoyed with the success of Korlagunta road widening which remained a hard nut to crack, plans are afoot for widening a few more roads for decongesting the roads in the pilgrim city.