The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Bala Sadanam in bad shape

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 13, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Bala Sadanam in bad shape

J.S. Ifthekhar

Sixty children live in seven dingy rooms Sixty children living in seven small dingy rooms have just four bathrooms and toilets to share

HAM HONGE KAMYAAB: They dream to make it big, but the facilities are woefully short of their aspirations at the Children's Hostel in Nimboliadda. - Photo: Satish H

Hyderabad: They are crammed like sardines in a can. Sixty children living in seven small dingy rooms have just four bathrooms and four toilets to share. Poor ventilation and sanitary facilities complete the picture of a dungeon. That is the pitiable condition of inmates of Bala Sadanam, the Children's Home for SC girls at Nimboliadda.

The home for the orphaned and destitute children is itself in need of care. Located in a ramshackle building in a narrow lane in Nimbolidadda, the children's home is saddled with a host of problems. Water shortage is a perennial complaint here. The only borewell in the premises has gone defunct. The alternate day water supply is hardly sufficient. But the authorities seem to be blissfully unaware of the problems.

Thanks to the recent Praja Patham programme, the plight of the children's home has come to the notice of the district administration. Concerned at the sorry state of affairs, District Collector R.V. Chandravadan, has decided to provide a bigger and better premises for the Bala Sadanam. A piece of Government land measuring 442 sq. yard has been identified at Barkatpura. The district administration has resolved to provide Rs. 5 lakh for construction of the new home. Himayathnagar MLA G. Kishan Reddy too has reportedly promised an equal amount.

For want of space children are being denied admission at the Bala Sadanam. When it moves to a new premises the intake capacity of the home will be increased from 60 to 200. Girls in the age group of 6 to 14 years live here till completion of tenth class.

The building is in urgent need of repairs but the owner is least bothered. "He is in fact pressuring us to vacate the building," says Children's Home Superintendent P.D.K. Harathi.

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