Alwal has Prez to thank

Every year it requires a visit to the city from the President of India for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and the Zoo authorities to pay some attention to Alwal and Bolaram.

Throughout the year, residents of these areas live under the threat of snakes, monkeys and stray dogs, since more than 50 per cent of the area has thick green cover.

November-December is considered to be the second breeding season for poisonous snakes, and many are found in Bolaram. In the past few months Friends for Snakes, a non-government organisation, has rescued cobras, rat snakes and chequered keelback from around houses in Bolarum. The Nehru Zoo has done nothing.

It needs the President to be in residence for dog squads and monkey catching units to be set up near Rashtrapati Nilayam to control this menace. The GHMC has caught 12 stray dogs near the royal suite of Rashtrapati Nilayam.

Mr K. Arun from Alwal complains that stray dogs have multiplied over the past few years and are attacking passers-by.

“Recently, an elderly person was attacked by two stray dogs which led to his hospitalisation for a few weeks. It becomes more dangerous at night. All of a sudden if they see a passerby the dogs start barking and attack in groups. Most people are afraid of these dogs, particularly children.”

Another resident of Alwal, Garga Srinivasan, said stray dogs chased people in Bharatinagar and bite passers-by. “There is no action by the GHMC when we complain,” he alleges.

Street-lighting in Alwal and Bolaram is very poor and is a major complaint together with the threat posed by stray dogs, on GHMC’s online forum.

Mr Sanjay Banala pointed to the non-functioning street lights in Sneha Colony, near St. Michael's School, Jonnabanda, in Old Alwal Lane No. 4. “This is near the main road. We have complained repeatedly, but we see work being done this week thanks to the President’s visit,” he said.