Civic apathy claims life of 8-yr-old girl

Gadwal: Three days ago, in the town of Aiza, heavy rains caused significant damage in the Kothapeta area. The house of an individual named Chakali Narasimhulu collapsed, leading to the tragic death of his eight-year-old daughter.

The locals attributed this tragic incident to the negligence of the municipal authorities. The town’s drainage system had failed, leading to waterlogging in residential areas, which weakened the walls of homes. The roof of Narasimhulu’s house, made of thatch, became waterlogged and heavy, ultimately causing the walls to collapse.

Narasimhulu’s eight-year-old daughter and his wife sustained severe injuries in the incident. The child was rushed to the Kurnool government hospital but succumbed to her injuries while receiving treatment.

Residents of the Kottapeta colony have expressed their anger towards the municipal authorities, accusing them of neglecting their repeated pleas to address the drainage problems in their area. They criticised the authorities for remembering them only during elections, but ignoring them thereafter.

The colony’s councilor had previously installed CC (cement concrete) roads but failed to address the critical issue of drainage. The

councillor, identified as CM Suresh, acknowledged the issue and mentioned that Rs25 lakh had been allocated for resolving the drainage problem. However, he claimed that the implementation was delayed due to land disputes.

Tahsildar Jyothi visited the site and promised to send the Revenue Inspector (RI) to conduct a panchnama (a formal report) on the incident.

The residents, particularly from the Kottapeta Colony, have been living in this area for over 30 years. Many are from marginalised communities and work as handloom weavers.