Over 75-year-old bridge across the irrigation canal, Dabba Kaluva, under the Yeleru Irrigation System at Kandrakota village in East Godavari district, collapsed on Sunday. However, there were no casualties.
The 40-meter bridge connects Kandrakota to Toorpu Pakala village in Peddapuram mandal. The bridge is the prime facility to transport seed, fertilizer, harvest of thousands of acres for the farmers. The bridge is under the maintenance of the Panchayat Raj Department.
According to Yeleru Irrigation Division Executive Engineer D.V. Ram Gopal, the bridge was constructed 75 years ago.
Peddapuram Deputy Executive Engineer (Panchayat Raj) V. Bhaskara Ramesh said the bridge collapsed at around 5.30 a.m.
The local farmers, who depend on the bridge to reach their agricultural fields, appealed to the officials concerned and Pithapuram MLA P. Dorababu to construct a temporary bridge, ensuring that paddy harvesting operations would not affected in the absence of the road connectivity.
New bridge
"A proposal for construction of a new bridge across the Dabba Kaluva is being prepared. The new bridge will be built by spending ₹3 crore with the aid of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. Talks will be held with the NABARD officials under the aegis of Mr. Dorababu in a week," said Mr. Bhskara Ramesh.
