Centre approves causeway across Jampanna vagu to ease travel to Medaram temples

Hyderabad: Pilgrims and travellers making their way to and from the Medaram jatara may soon have a smoother access to the temples of the tribal goddesses deep inside the forests with the Centre approving the construction of a causeway across Jampanna Vagu in Mulugu district.

A decision to allow the construction of the causeway was taken by the standing committee of National Board of Wildlife (SC-NBWL) at its 60th meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday. The committee recommended the construction of the causeway from Muthapur to Motlagudem in the district.

The Jampanna Vagu nearly every year poses some problems for people trying to cross it, particularly during the rainy season. There have also been several instances when pilgrims trying to cross the stream had to be rescued from the sometime fast-flowing water in the stream.

Last August, the heavy rains that lashed several parts of the state also resulted in the partial caving in of a bridge across the stream near Dodla village in Eturunagaram mandal.

The new proposal for a causeway was approved by the NBWL provided that certain conditions to ensure minimal disturbance to the forest during the construction are followed.