SIDDIPET: Residents of Vechereni village in Cheryala mandal of Siddipet district are forced to risk their life to cross the Vechereni stream, especially during the rainy season, due to the lack of a bridge. The recent death of 75-year-old Balaiah left his relatives and villagers facing a dilemma.
As per their customs, the last rites were to be performed in his farm field. However, to reach the farm, they had to cross the Vechereni, which had been swollen due to heavy rains over the past four days. Despite the heavy current, the grieving relatives carried Balaiah’s body through the swirling waters. Locals shared video clips of the incident on social media, which soon went viral.
According to village sarpanch Durgaiah, a contractor from Warangal district who was awarded the tender for the construction of a bridge on the stream for `1.96 crore failed to commence work, leading to frustration among the villagers. Repeated appeals from the sarpanch and even admonishments from MLA V Satish Kumar fell on deaf ears.
Durgaiah said that though alternative locations were available for performing last rites, the relatives of the deceased chose to adhere to their traditional practices and crossed the stream. Meanwhile, the contractor blamed the delay on the non-clearance of bills.