People in remote areas of Tumari and other places in Sagar taluk are deprived of proper transportation facilities due to the lack of a bridge across the backwaters of Sharavati river at Holebagilu.
The previous BJP government had approved a proposal to construct a 2.1 km bridge across the backwaters to connect Tumari and other places with the taluk centre. Administrative approval was given for the 2.1 km bridge at an estimated cost of Rs164.59 crore between Ambaragodlu and Kalasavalli in 2008-09.
The cost may now go up to more than Rs 300 crore. Hence the government is dilly-dallying saying that it would require more funds.
Enraged by the inordinate delay, villagers from nearby places came out with an alternative plan. They informed the government that the bridge could be constructed at another place, cutting down the distance from 2.1 km to 1.25 km.
The previous government had not conducted an alternative survey, but approved the present site — Ambaragodlu and Kalasavalli — where a launch ferries passengers to and fro. The proposed place would come under the Sharavati Reserve Forest limits.
But the new sites identified by locals were away from the forest limits and has two hills, which could be used to construct the bridge at a minimum cost. One of the two identified sites is the Sagar-Bhatkal Road, laid during the British period. Another was a connecting road from Sannekoppa Cross to Office Hill Gudda towards Kiruvase Hill. If the bridge is constructed at any of these two places, it would save more than 50 percent of the project cost and connect two places instead of one, the villagers said.
Hasirumakki Bridge Action Committee president A O Ramachandra and his team had apprised Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa of the alternative possibilities.
He said if the government constructed just a 700-metre bridge from Tangapur Tank to Hardur Hill, it would connect Tumari with Ambaragodlu and a 500-metre bridge from Kiruvase Hill to Office Hill would connect Hasirumakki.
The distance would be just 1.25 km instead of 2.1 km and also connect Ambaragodlu, Tumari and Hasirumakki, he added.