Villagers Along Nagavali River Risk Lives Daily As Bridge Remains Unbuilt
Villagers risk unsafe boats daily, demand funds and action
Visakhapatnam: Residents of nine panchayats along the Nagavali River in Parvatipuram Manyam district are compelled to rely on boats, many of them unsafe, to reach the mandal centre to collect their essentials, particularly during the rainy season.
The boats help residents of 42 villages cross the 5-kilometre-wide river. Though risky, this is much shorter to the 70-km ride over the roads, which most villagers find expensive.
To get over the problem, the state government approved the construction of a bridge over Nagavali between Poornapadu and Labhes in 2006. Nearly 19 years have passed, but the bridge remains incomplete.
According to CPM leader Kolli Sambamurthy, the erstwhile YSRC government had promised to complete the bridge. It appointed a contractor who halted work over settlement of bills for the work completed. Ahead of the 2024 general elections, TDP pledged to complete the bridge if the NDA coalition came to power. Having come to power, the coalition government sanctioned Rs 5.26 crore for the bridge and floated tenders for Rs 3.34 crore. No contractor has bid on grounds that the amount is too small for completing the bridge.
Villagers of the nine panchayats are now asking the NDA government to allocate sufficient funds and expedite the completion of the bridge. In the interim, they are requesting the state government to put new boats into service so that they can cross the river for their essential needs.
“If the old boats remain in service, lives of villagers from Kottu and Labhes will be in grave danger,” says Sambamurthy. He called on the state government to take immediate action to resolve the long-standing transportation crisis faced by the riverbank communities.
The CPM leader’s demands include quick completion of the Poornapadu-Labhes bridge; until then, provision of new rowboats along the Kottu-Komarada and Labhes-Poornapadu boat routes replacing the dangerously outdated vessels currently in use.
“State government must ensure safe and reliable access to the mandal centre for all residents living beyond the Nagavali River,” Sambamurthy added.
