Rains leave behind a stink in city

VIJAYAWADA: People beset by the humidity here got a brief respite thanks to rainfall in the last 48 hours but the cool breeze afterwards carried a foul smell. Hapless citizens aver that stench emanated from the open drains by the roadside mainly because the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation did not finish the desilting process.
An elaborate plan had been drawn up to clean the drains to ensure little or no water logging in the monsoon.While the silt was removed in time, no one bothered to clear it subsequently. The rain on Sunday just spread the filth, causing many areas in the city to stink.
“This is nothing new to us. It happens every year and we are tired of giving complaints and receiving false assurances. I feel that nothing is going to change even after the announcement of the capital region,” said Narayana Murthy, a resident of Polyclinic Road.
The major issue is the open drainage system here. Despite the growing population and the influx expected on account of the capital construction, the civic body seems to be in no hurry to make any changes.
“As of now, there is no proposal to close any of these drainages.
This is because we want the water to go inside directly without being routed through an opening. However, there is a plan of covering the drains with a mesh,” said M Gopi Naik, VMC’s Chief Medical Officer of Health.
However, citizens offered a contrary opinion. “This area gets flooded with water every time there is heavy rain. The sewerage is not adequate to deal with the flow, so the drain water spills onto the roads making the entire place a disaster waiting to happen,” rued Sandhya Kuchpudi, a beautician who lives in Governorpet.
As many parts of One Town were water logged, the residents expressed concern over the state of affairs especially since the rainy season is yet to come.