VIZIANAGARAM: The long-cherished dream of at least 15 villages under Gajapathinagaram and Mentada mandals is likely to come into reality as the government gave administrative sanction for the construction of a bridge at Marrivalasa Junction across the river Champavati.
Minister for MSME, SERP, and NRI Empowerment and Relations Kondapalli Srinivas laid the foundation stone for the construction of the bridge with an estimated cost of `6.5 crore on Sunday.
Villagers expressed relief as the bridge will permanently resolve seasonal cut-offs across the Champavathi, ensuring swift access to emergency medical care, higher education, and regional markets.
At least 15 tribal villages in Gajapathinagaram and Mentada mandals lose connectivity with the plain areas during every rainy season as the River Champavathi swells.
Especially Marrivalasa, Sidagamvalasa, Rayivalasa, Panukuvalasa, Saradavalasa, Aguru, Laxmipuram, Relligudem, Vanisa, Sakivalasa and other villages on the other side of the River Champavati lose connection with their mandal headquarters.
Therefore, the people of those tribal villages are facing difficulties for education, health, employment and for other needs. They are forced to cross the Champavathi River in neck-deep water in rainy season to reach Gajapathinagaram.
The parents have to carry their children on their shoulders to drop them in school through the swelling river, as there is no alternative way.
Though they have staged several agitations demanding the government to lay bridge at Marrivalasa Junction there is no response for three decades.
However, the plight of the residents of Marrivalasa came into lime light after Taddi Kalavathi (21), who was working as a private hostel warden in Visakhapatnam has crossed the River by swimming in neck-deep water to attend her duty in 2022.
The government of Andhra Pradesh sanctioned `5 crore for the construction of a bridge at Marrivalasa village and assured them to complete the bridge by 2023 after Kalavathi’s incident attracted national headlines.
However, the government has failed to start the bridge works due to various administrative reasons.
Therefore, the residents of Marrivalasa and neighbouring villages have been facing difficulties in the rainy season.
Gajapathinagaram MLA and MSME Minister Kondapalli Srinivas took the bridge issue to the notice of CM Chandrababu couple of months ago.
Therefore, the government of Andhra Pradesh has given administrative sanction for Marrivalasa bridge along with approach road with an estimated cost of `6.5 crore under the Central Government’s SASCI (Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment).
