RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Residents of nearly 25 villages in East and West Godavari districts continue to endure severe hardship as the bridge across the Yerra Kaluva, connecting Kamsalipalem in Nidadavole mandal and Madhavaram in Tadepalligudem mandal, remains unreconstructed eight years after it was washed away in the 2018–19 floods.
The bridge once served as a vital transportation link for commuters, farmers, students, and public transport.
Since its collapse, residents have been forced to rely on a temporary earthen road riddled with potholes, which becomes treacherous during the monsoon. Around 2,000 farmers struggle to transport agricultural produce, while RTC buses, heavy vehicles, and other commuters negotiate the hazardous route at considerable risk.
Floodwaters frequently inundate the canal, disrupting traffic and severing connectivity between the two districts. Residents say successive governments have come and gone over the past eight years, but none have allocated the required funds to rebuild the bridge. They describe the prolonged delay as neglect and a major setback to the region’s development, despite repeated appeals from public representatives and villagers.
Tourism and Cinematography Minister Kandula Durgesh said a proposal worth Rs 9 crore has now been submitted to Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for the construction of a new bridge.
He expressed confidence that the project would restore seamless connectivity between the two districts and greatly benefit residents of the 25 villages. Durgesh said construction would begin as soon as the government sanctions the required funds, bringing long-awaited relief to thousands of people in the region.