Official apathy mars bridge work at Koorthagundi

The movement of vehicles on old bridge was stopped when the work on the new bridge commenced. As a result, the villagers are likely to face severe inconvenience.

When Varahi project was started in 1984, Holebagilu in Macchattu village was inundated and Koorthagundi and Dyasa areas were partially submerged. As rain water flows over a small bridge connecting Amasebailu, the people of Koorthagundi and Dyasa are forced to travel seven kilometers more to reach Amasebailu.

The entire area with 35 houses with a population of around 300 become an island during monsoon.  The villagers can use the bridge only after the flood water recedes. Though the issue was discussed in length during the Janaspandana, no action was taken to set right the programme till date.

Koorthagundi was a Naxal infested area earlier. Hence, the government had sanctioned a bridge at the cost of Rs 63 crore. The work on the bridge commenced three months ago. As soil has been dumped on either side of the old bridge, the movement of vehicles have been stopped. Three pillars have been constructed for the new bridge and soil has been dumped on either side of the road. With the rains lashing the region, all the dumped soil has been eroded and the work on the bridge has been stopped. The villagers were using the old bridge once the flood water recedes. However, with the closure of old bridge, the villagers are put to hardship.  “We knew that the village will submerge with the Varahi project.

However, before completing the work on new bridge, soil has been dumped on the oil bridge making it useless,” said Shankar, a resident of Koorthangadi.