Tirupati: Clogged drains, filth, potholes plague Sathyanarayanapuram

Tirupati: Sathyanarayanpuram, which falls under 48 and 49th divisions in the Corporation, a predominantly labour area, has been plagued with several long-pending problems.

The area with about 1,000 houses in two divisions, where people are suffering with problems including the bad roads dotted with full of potholes, stagnated and clogged drains. Frequent accidents are occurring on the roads in the area due to the potholes formed after digging of roads for laying Underground Drainage System (UDS). Several people also sustained bleeding injuries and sometimes fractures as they fell from two-wheelers while going to their places particularly during night times.

Due to lack of regular cleaning of the side canals, the stagnated water acting as breeding ground for mosquitoes and creating health problems for residents.

Devika, a resident, said that the locals have been cleaning the drains themselves in view of their children's health.

As many are poor and unable to provide mosquito nets to the doors and windows, often people fell sick in this area.

Apart from this, the schools particularly Municipal Elementary School in this area, buzzing with students and teachers during working hours, suddenly becomes a haven for drunkards and anti-social elements in the evening hours. After 7pm anybody can find auto drivers, workers and others taking liquor inside the school premises.

Every next day morning, it is the duty of school teachers to clear the broken liquor bottles avoiding piercing into the feet of students. The dumping of garbage by locals beside the school wall, causing bad smell and persistent mosquitoes' problem during school hours.

School Education Committee Chairman K Aswini said despite lodging several complaints with police to curb this menace, no action has been taken. He said the school teachers have been cleaning the premises as broken bottles pose threat to children and themselves.

V Lakshmi, a class 5 student parent, said the school has no gate and the local youth using this place as bar in night times. She added "financial constraints forcing us to send wards to this unsafe school."

Kumar, a shop keeper, said there is no change in fate of the school even after introducing 'Nadu-Nedu' scheme by the government.