Hyderabad: A large portion of a high-level bridge built across the Peddavagu stream in Kaghaznagar Mandal caved in near Andevelli village on Wednesday. There were no casualties because traffic on the had already been halted.
Due to heavy rains, a pillar of the bridge tilted and partially sunk, posing a threat to the structure’s collapse in July. During the monsoon last year, it was slightly skewed. The structure’s two pillars and three slabs collapsed around 2 AM on Wednesday. Locals took photos and videos of the bridge and posted them on social media.
Sirpur (T) MLA Koneru Konappa and Panchayat Raj Executive Engineer Rammohan inspected the bridge after learning about the incident. Konappa stated that efforts would be made to address the issue as soon as possible. Panchayat Raj department officials have already prepared proposals to repair the pillar at a cost of Rs 3 crore.
To prevent any unexpected events, local police erected walls at the structure’s entrances and prohibited traffic. Motorists were advised to take alternate routes to Kaghaznagar. People from certain villages in Kaghaznagar and many villages in Dahegaon mandal were forced to take the Bheemini-Tandur route to reach Kaghaznagar, covering approximately 50 kilometres more than the distance and paying exorbitant fares.
The bridge, built in 2001 by the Panchayat Raj department with World Bank funds, connects many villages in Dahegaon and Bheemini to Kaghaznagar town. The Jagannathpur-Andevelli stretch is used by residents of the two mandals to get to town for groceries and medical emergencies. Students rely on the town for schools and colleges as well.
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