A culvert over Pedakapavaram stream in Koyyuru mandal was washed away by rains. While government servants, teachers and medical staff were looking for alternative means of communication, a JCB deployed for constructing a bridge over the same stream for NH-512 came in handy for people.

Meanwhile, Adivasi activists fumed over the negligence of successive governments in building basic infrastructure.
“Rains exposed the negligence of governments in building basic infrastructure in agency areas for decades,’’ said JAC convener Rama Dora. He said the recent rains destroyed the road network. The culverts built between Narsipatnam and Chintpalle, Chintoor and Bhadrachalam in the British era were washed away in the rains.

He said a 15-km stretch between GK Veedhi and Sapparla was completely damaged. On the same road, a mudslide destroyed the entire village of Chattrapalli killing a recently married woman and injuring three of her family. He said medical services collapsed in the worst hit mandal of GK Veedhi.
Funds were sanctioned three years ago for construction of a road between GK Veedhi and Sileru but the work never started, he said. “We organised a padayatra for three days in 2022 demanding the government complete the road following which the work started but it was quickly abandoned.

District collector A. S. Dinesh Kumar said the road and bridge repair work was being done on a war-footing. “We have sourced heavy machinery from the National Highway department and a few from neighboring Odisha,” the collector said.