Vizianagaram: Bridge over Nagavali to be completed soon

Komarada (Vizianagaram) : The long pending dream of tribal villages for a bridge over River Nagavali is going to be realised soon as the State government has conceded their demand and sanctioned funds.

A bridge on Nagavali is required to connect the villages in Komarada mandal. At present the locals can't reach the town if the water is high in river Nagavali during the rainy season.

The bridge works were started long back but due to lack of funds they could not be completed. Now the government has sanctioned Rs 14 crore for the project.

The Komarada mandal has total 31 gram panchayats (GPs). There are 22 villages on one side of the river and another nine villages on the other side.

During the rainy season the people of the nine villages, mostly hilly and remote areas, would be stranded and they can't reach even the mandal headquarters. They can't visit a doctor if anyone of them falls sick as the river will be gushing through.

Previously some locals were drowned in the river when they tried to cross the river in a country boat. Actually, the government has agreed to sanction Rs 10 crore to construct a bridge between Purnapadu and Labesu villages to provide a solution to the long pending problem.

But due to the delay in works, the construction cost went up to Rs 14 crore. Deputy Chief Minister P Pushpasreevani visited the spot and reviewed with officials concerned regarding the project.

As per the demands from the public and recommendations from the engineering department, she put in efforts to secure the approval of the State government for the revised estimates.

Funds were sanctioned from the ST sub-plan budget. Recently, the government has released the GO approving the revised estimates.