Visakhapatnam is a growing metropolis bundled between the lush green hills and the azure blue seas. In spite of being blessed with such natural beauty, this resident and tourist paradise is grappling with several day-to-day issues. Here are some of the major urban issues the public of Vizag faces.
#1 Pollution:
“Imagine a city covered in neat patches of blue, green and brown. And now imagine a city covered in thin lines of black, proudly blotched with hues of brown and somewhere hidden in those folds; lay the shy, uncared for blues and greens.” The second instance depicts the present condition of Vizag.
Pollution is one of the major problems, the nation faces. Vizag too plays victim to this evil. The air pollution levels are increasing on a daily basis due to the bulging vehicular consumption and the rise in the industries. Together a solution must be sought after for these major urban issues.
#2 Open Drainage:
‘Imagine while trying to hire an auto, with one hand, your swatting away mosquitoes, house flies, all kinds of pests and the other, you’re covering your nose- so as to not smell or even taste the sickening stench.’
This is a daily activity in the life of Serena, a student who commutes to GITAM from the Apugarh area. The problem of open drainages is not just present in and around Apugarh, but also around areas of Suryabagh. ‘It is not just about the stench, but also the number of diseases people are susceptible too. It is essential that the government addresses these problems,’ says Serena.
#3 Plastic:
Is plastic really worth the headache? Can we possibly not grab everything that is plastic and dump it in the Earth’s core. While weighing the few options we are left with, a conclusion might be drawn – ‘We’re in a soup!’
Yet, in spite of how big the problem might appear to be, we can adopt the role of a responsible citizen and begin with strictly sticking to using just paper or cloth bags. The government too needs to play its part and ban the use of plastic bags in Vizag and check the cost of both paper and cloth bags.
#4 Bad Roads:
Roads with potholes, ditches and roads with unfinished work can cause accidents. There is an increase in the amount of vehicular consumption, which also causes several traffic jams at peak hours in Vizag. This is yet another reason resulting in accidents apart from rash and drunken driving.
“Just the other day, I had witnessed the most horrid accident in the Madhurawada area. Several times I have written to the municipality about the condition of these roads. But they never take action,” says Ruth, a resident of the Madhurawada area.
#5 Water Shortage:
Apart from the above urban issues, water shortage is yet another major problem in the peak summers. ‘The fact that the groundwater has dried up in most parts of India hasn’t rung any warning bells. The government is hardly taking any measures to remedy the situation,’ said a resident from the beach road.
Yes, tankers are being distributed all around the city. But how many more? It is the collective responsibility of the public and government to safeguard and find solutions to these problems.
Apart from finding a solution, we need to also together examine the Sustainable Development aspect.
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