Rajahmundry: Road by Gammon India, part of Rs 800 crore project, collapses

Rajahmundry: A few metres of a road that is part of an Rs 800-crore project being built by Gammon India ahead of the Godavari Pushkaralu collapsed owing to soil erosion on the embankment near Rajahmundry on Saturday.

The 8-km road connects to the four-lane road bridge across the Godavari from Diwan Cheruvu. The bridge itself stretches 4 km. The cost of the entire project is Rs 800 crore. The approach road on the Diwan Cheruvu side caved in at six places spread over 200 metres near Kateru.

Gammon India, which is completing the project under build-operate-transfer scheme, had dug up pits on the embankment to erect metal poles to set up a railing meant to serve as a crash barrier. Due to the rainfall, the firm had failed to take up any work in the last two days. This resulted in rain water entering the pits and loosening the soil, resulting in collapse of the road.

Executive engineer K. John Sudhakar of the Road Development Corporation said: “Following heavy rains, the mud on the embankment started slipping and this resulted in a few metres of the approach road collapsing.”

“Had the revetment to the approach road been completed, it might not have caved in. The portion will be rebuilt after completing the process of fixing stones to the embankment.” Mr Sudhakar said.

He said the contracting agency has to carry out the repair works. “We expected to complete the works early, but this development may delay it. The government will not incur any financial expenditure for the repair work as the agency has to complete it.”

Elsewhere, a portion of Kanakadurga ghat, which is a part of the Kotilingala ghat, collapsed. The reason was said to be the caving in of the earth supporting the wall.