The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation is on the receiving end, with people flooding the social media with angry outbursts on the bad condition of roads from all corners of the city.
Pictures of bad roads and memes are being circulated, with adverse comments on the alleged apathy of the civic body.
“Three of my friends have met with accidents due to the bad roads which are full of potholes, and after rains, we cannot even gauge the depth of the potholes, rendering the ride risky,” says Rajini, a 20-year-old student, who has since been prevented by her parents from using a scooter.
Another netizen has depicted the kuccha road in Chinnamushiwada as a pole vault track, showing how one can cross the road safely by pole-vaulting!
Responding to the meme, GVMC Commissioner says that the road work is in the pipeline and will be taken up in a month’s time.
Plaints from suburbs
The corporation’s official sites and handles on social media are being flooded with complaints on bad roads, especially in the last few days following rains in the city. The majority of the complaints are from people residing in the suburban areas like Pendurthi, Vepagunta, Gajuwaka, Madhurawada and Bheemili. Some netizens are also tagging their local MLAs in their posts reminding them of the election promises they had made to lay the roads.
Many from Muralinagar, Madhavadara, VUDA Colony and NGGOs’ colony have demanded that the corporation relay the roads.
Not taking up repairs on time and not clearing the mess after taking up some work on the roads, has worsened the condition of the roads in the last two years, says Ch. Sirisha, a resident of Muralinagar.
“Potholes at some places are a foot deep,” complains K. Satyanarayana from Ward 86.
A netizen named Vasudev, sharing a picture of a bad road at Chinnamushiwada, remarks, “Before making Vizag as executive capital, the officials should focus on laying roads.”
A few locals also shared pictures of motorcyclists skidding from their two-wheelers while crossing the roads.
According to GVMC Commissioner G. Srijana, road repairs will be taken up soon. Ward development plans of all the 98 wards have major demands for roads and drainages. The works will be taken up over the next three years in a phased manner.
