NEAT AND GREEN: A view of the New P&T Colony in Vijayawada. PHOTO: RAJU. V.

VIJAYAWADA: Lush green surroundings, cement concrete roads and florescent street lamps have enhanced the beauty of a residential colony. Located adjacent to two national highways, New P&T Colony has 140 houses. Though most of its residents are busy with their jobs, their continuous efforts to make their colony a better place to live have borne fruit.

In a period of two years, the residents developed cement concrete roads, underground drainages and streetlights with the help of the civic authority.

Common interest

Their common interest in improving greenery in their surroundings has turned their colony into a beautiful place and converted a dumping yard into a tiny park. A piece of 500 square yards of land, located adjacent to an apartment complex in the colony, has been used as a dumping yard by the residents of surrounding areas.

Though the site was earmarked for a park in the colony layout, residents never demonstrated any interest in developing that till a year ago.

"We contemplated the idea of developing a park-cum-playpen in the vacant land a year ago, when the municipal officials urged all the residential welfare associations to focus on developing greenery," says K. Basava Rao, president of the P&T Colony House Owners Welfare Association.

The works were commenced in November last and the park took a shape by April. Soon, several saplings and creepers made it into the park.

The association spent Rs. 4 lakhs on the park.

Retired employees

"Over 70 retired employees are residing in the colony. Most of them meet in the park regularly, while the children spend a couple of hours on play slide and swings," says G. Syam Prasad, executive member of the Association.

"Electrical wires are obstructing the trees in our colony. Linemen are cutting some branches every month. To prevent this, we are urging the municipal corporation to help us lay underground electricity cables," Mr. Prasad explains.

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