Low bridge sans railings, pose threat to users

Eluru: The villagers of Ponangi in Eluru rural mandal are facing hardships with the damaged roads and the culvert across Tammmileru rivulet.

Ponangi, a Kolleru belt village in Eluru Rural mandal was almost adjacent to Eluru city. The minor Panchayati had a population of 3,494. The villagers have to visit Eluru city for their daily needs. The villagers travel through the 30 feet road to reach Eluru which was situated just five km away to the city.  The villagers visit Eluru by either auto or motorbikes and bicycles. There is no bus service to the village that situated on the southern side of Tammileru rivulet. 

The villagers have to cross a low-bridge that was constructed across the rivulet during the British regime. The bridge is the only way to enter into the mainstream from the village. It has now in a dilapidated condition. If any vehicle crossing the causeway (Low Bridge), the other side people have to wait until it crosses the bridge. The villagers fear that the bridge may collapse as its condition is almost in the alarming stage. The villagers are afraid of the vehicles slipped down while crossing the bridge. The vehicles fall into the rivulet as there are no railings to it.

K Krishnaiah, an elderly person from the village said the bridge across the rivulet was two-centuries-old. “There are no railings to the bridge. It was almost in a dilapidated condition. No one bothers about the safety of the villagers or the vehicular traffic,” he said.

“The traffic of fish lorries is very high in the village as it is the belt village of Kolleru lake. Our villagers represented the officials many times not to allow any lorries or trucks towards the village as many accidents occurred at the bridge and in the village,” Mahalakshmamma of the village stated.

The villagers said that no official visited the village or listened to their problems. The Ponangi-Eluru road and the bridge are badly damaged and officials have to take steps to construct the road and a new bridge.

Veeranki Trinadh, Corporator of Eluru Municipal Corporation has represented the district officials in Dial your Collector about the bad condition of the bridge across the Tammileru. However, so far no action was initiated in this regard, the villagers informed ‘The Hans India.’