Residents in Visakhapatnam’s Madhurawada flag poor roads, drains, ahead of GVMC polls

As parties and candidates prepare to contest the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) elections, residents in Madhurawada say that roads, drainage and garbage collection, the most basic of civic services, remain unaddressed.

In Srinivasa Nagar (Ward 7), residents say repeated requests for roads have gone unanswered. R. Ruth, a resident, said roads dug up by the Electricity Department had been left with rubble strewn about, making movement difficult, especially in the rain because of slush. Crushed gravel unloaded in August for road-laying, she said, continued to lie in heaps.

Ms. Ruth also pointed to dumping by neighbouring apartments and colonies. Thermocol, construction waste, plastics and mattresses were lying along the roadside, she said. Though GVMC vehicles announce that waste must be segregated, residents who comply find dry and wet waste tipped into the same vehicle.

The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, in force since April 1, make four-stream segregation at source mandatory, into wet, dry, sanitary and special care waste. Local bodies are responsible for collecting, segregating and transporting waste, and the rules prescribe higher landfill fees for sending unsegregated waste to sanitary landfills.

The absence of a drain in her street, she added, leads to water stagnation, a foul smell and mosquito breeding. Stagnant water can breed mosquitoes that spread dengue and malaria, a concern during and after the monsoon.

In Marikavalasa (Ward 6), proper, motorable roads have not been provided for more than 40 years, despite repeated appeals, said K. Archana, a resident, on behalf of the locality. She described a motorable road as a basic public amenity rather than an additional civic facility, and said the prolonged neglect was unacceptable and needed immediate attention.

The condition of the roads, Ms. Archana said, makes movement difficult and unsafe during the rainy season, hampering access to workplaces, schools and medical care. Senior citizens are at risk of falls and injuries on the uneven surfaces, while children face hardship in travelling to and from school. In emergencies, the lack of road access could delay medical assistance and other essential services, she added.

Roads, drains and solid waste management are among the core functions of a municipal corporation.