ELURU: A 13-year-old boy was crushed when a lemon-laden lorry overturned at Yernagudem village in Devarapalli mandal on Friday morning.The deceased was identified as Ganji Btanni (13), a class IX student at Yernagudem. The accident took place when the was boy was going to his school on a bicycle. His friend, who was along with him, escaped with minor injuries. Ganji Banni was the eldest son of Yesuratnam and Radha.
The villagers who noticed the accident immediately informed the police. The police rushed to the spot and lifted the lorry with a crane. They tried to shift the body of the boy to a hospital for postmortem. But, the villagers objected. A scuffle broke out between the police and the villagers in this regard.
Meanwhile, the villagers resorted to road blockade demanding that the government take steps to stop the heavy vehicles on national highway from Gundugolanu to Kovvur. As a result, hundreds of vehicles were stranded on the national highway.
The villagers sought the police to divert heavy vehicles to Tanuku and Ravulapalem. They also wanted the Collector to visit the village to render justice to the victim’s family. On receipt of information, Kovvur Rural CI Sarath Rajkumar and Devarapalli mandal tahsildar Ravikumar reached the spot and tried to pacify the villagers.
The villagers asked the officials to widen roads in Devarapalli mandal and sought road dividers. The tahsildar assured the villagers of looking into the issue. He said encroachments will be removed and speed breakers will be set up on roads. Following the assurances, the villagers called off their protest. Later, the police shifted the body of the boy to Kovvur government hospital for postmortem.
Gopalapuram MLA Muppidi Venkateswara Rao told the villagers that he will discuss with the Collector to take steps to divert heavy vehicles from Kovvur.
Deadly road
In the last 20 days, seven accidents took place in Devarapalli and Nallajerla mandals
Raw materials for Polavaram project is transported through this road
Villagers have been taking to streets and urging the officials to divert heavy vehicles to Tanuku and Ravulapalem