JOIN USIt is because the six-year-old bridge across the left canal of Tungabhadra river, which serves as a connecting link between Raichur and other neighbouring districts, at Pothnal village has given away.
Now to travel from Sindhanur to Manvi and to other nearby taluks one has to take a circuitous route. The traveller must travel via Maski, Mudgal, Lingasagur and Raichur to reach Manvi.
While an embankment to the Pothnal bridge has been washed out, the bridge has collapsed partially due to the swelling river following heavy rains in the region. About 40 metres of the bridge has collapsed obstructing the movement of vehicles badly.
The incident occurred in the wee hours of October 2. The road connectivity to Raichur from southern districts has suffered severely. KSRTC has stopped plying of buses to Hyderabad via Raichur. Those plying between Sindhanur and Manvi stop at the bridge. Passengers have to catch another bus after crossing the bridge with the help of a ladder, which is serving as a makeshift arrangement provided by the local people. The people shared the expense to purchase raw materials for constructing the ladder. Those who transport luggage over the ladder have to pay Rs 2 per bag. The bags are lifted over the bridge through a rope.
Pampapathi, a villager, said nearly 400 people make use of the ladder everyday. “The government should reconstruct the bridge and punish those responsible for the substandard work,” he said.
Boseraj, ex-MLA of Manvi said that when he was MLA the bridge was built with the help of World Bank loan. “We built the bridge as per the WB’s specifications with a lifespan of 25 years. Only an embankment to the bridge has been damaged but the bridge is not damaged. The PWD will carry out the repair work from tomorrow,” he clarified.