VIJAYAWADA:At a time when construction of iconic bridges are being proposed for capital Amaravati, the administration has turned a blind eye to the condition of the old bridges in the city. Over 10 bridges built during the British rule over irrigation canals in different parts of Vijayawada are on the verge of collapse and need immediate attention.
The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC), a year ago, had proposed to construct new bridges over the canals. Except for some minor repairs, the civic body has done little towards it. The issue once again gained heat with city police officials raising concerns over the dilapidated bridges.
An appropriate case study would be the decades-old bridge across Ryves Canal near Alankar theatre, which, the pedestrians say, can collapse anytime due to its poor state and heavy traffic flow. Apart from being a crucial link to Lenin Centre, the bridge is also a key route in connecting Eluru Road with Sambamurthy Road. The footpaths of the bridge have almost collapsed and there are no proper railing as well.
A few months ago, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu made a whirlwind tour across the city and expressed his dissatisfaction with the civic body and roads and building officials for improper maintenance of the bridges passing through the three major canals. The officials, as such, took up the renovation works for the dilapidated constructions amid the government’s plans for the canal beautification project in Vijayawada.
However, the condition of the bridges has come back to square one causing much inconvenience to the pedestrians. According to the civic body officials, the city has close to 25 bridges over three canals passing through the city. Of them, the majority are in a bad state and some are even on the verge of collapse.
When contacted, Mayor Koneru Sreedhar says the city has been witnessing heavy traffic flow since the last two years and majority of heavy vehicles are plying through the bridges that are not in a good condition. A proposal was earlier prepared by the officials to construct 18 new bridges in the city, he says.