Morning walkers at their wits’ end as their go-to ground remains out of bounds

Vijayawada walkers face challenges accessing open spaces, sparking feud with Andhra Loyola College; seek government intervention.

Even as the State government has set its sights on achieving ‘Arogya Andhra Pradesh’, Vijayawada, the second biggest city in the State, is yet to address the issue of shrinking open spaces.

The ongoing feud between the Andhra Loyola College and walkers brings to fore this issue. While the city has four major playgrounds, only Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation (IGMC) stadium is in the centre of the city. But many complain that the stadium remains closed every now and then.

Therefore, many prefer going to the nearest college and school grounds for walking. Walkers in the areas surrounding the Andhra Loyola College have been using the grounds for walking for decades. However, the management has now banned entry of public without permission into the premises.

Before the pandemic, more than 700 people used to come here for their morning walk, members of the now-dissolved Andhra Loyola College Walkers’ Association say.

When the pandemic broke out, many institutions, where walking was permitted, closed their gates to the public. While most of them reopened gradually as the pandemic threat ended, Andhra Loyola College’s grounds remained out of bounds. During this time, the association members, all scattered, started looking for other options to continue their regimen. However, they waited for the ALC to open the gates.

For people like Krishna Rao and Ravi Ramesh, walking companions, coming here was more than just a morning exercise. “We have been walking together for decades and formed an emotional bond with fellow walkers. It is a means of socialising for many of us,” says Mr. Krishna Rao, who has been coming to the college since 1985.

“Moreover, walking on cement roads left me with knee pain, while the parks in our colonies are too small to walk,” adds Mr. Krishna Rao, a resident of NTR Colony.