NELLORE: The dilapidated bridge over the sluice gate of River Penna collapsed on Friday. However, there had been no loss of lives as people close by ran to safety as the bridge fell. The sluice gate is located next to the construction site where a new barrage-cum-bridge is coming up.
The river sluice was constructed during the British regime. Recently, visitors from Nellore city began to visit the Penna barrage to observe water being released from it into River Penna. In fact, the dilapidated bridge has been abandoned and a barrage, as has been mentioned earlier, is being constructed close to it.
Engineering experts said that there would be no danger to the river sluice and only the road which was laid over the sluice was damaged due to water flow. For the record, a bridge was constructed on the river sluice for transportation earlier. After 10 years the crest gates were opened to release water from the Somasila reservoir to River Penna. River Penna passes through Nellore rural, Indukurpet, Kovur, and Vidavalur mandals and the region is also known as Penna delta. Water released from the Somasila reservoir is diverted to Kanigiri, Sarvepalli, Nellore, Alluru and Chinnakraka balancing reservoirs.