ADILABAD: Illegal sand mining near the pillars of a bridge has resulted in the sinking of the bridge twice last month. The bridge was about to collapse and this affected road connectivity to 42 villages in three mandals of Komaram Bheem Asifabad district.
One pillar has sunk thrice so far and affected the strength of the bridge. Illegal sand mining is going on in the streams, rivulets and Peddavagu.
The bridge was constructed on Peddavagu at Andevelli village in Kagaznagar and officials closed the road to both vehicle traffic and human movement through the bridge and erected cement walls at both ends. Police and revenue officials inspected the bridge and felt it may collapse at any time. Hence the closure. The bridge is set in between the Kagaznagar and Dahegoan mandals.
The bridge was in peril after a pillar started sinking for the first time in 2021 and the same pillar sank further three weeks ago. Officials alerted the people and restricted the movement of the people through the bridge. The same pillar sank further a third time on Monday.
The bridge at Andevelli connects Kagaznagar, Dahegoan and Bheemini mandals in the Komaram Bheem Asifabad district. The recent floods caused heavy pressure on the bridge’s pillars and this caused the sinking of the pillar in the middle of the bridge.
Locals say the floodwaters released into Peddavagu and Vattivagu bridge caused heavy pressure on the pillar that was already weak due suspectedly to illegal sand mining or engineering fault. It sank for the first time in the second week of August.
The villagers of Andevelli said the floodwaters were released downstream into Peddavagu from the Komaram Bheem and Vattigagu projects following the recent incessant rains.
Road connectivity to 42 villages has been hit on either side of the Kagaznagar and Dahegoan mandals. Road connectivity was also affected to the villages in the Bheemini.
With the closure of the bridge, the villagers of Kagaznagar have to take a detour of 70km to reach Dahegoan via Bheemini mandal. Another route is Nambala and Narlapur villages of Rebbena mandal via Bheemini mandal to reach Dahegoan.
Congress leader Raavi Srinivas visited the bridge at Andevelli and expressed serious concern about the sinking of the bridge. He alleged that illegal sand mining near the pillars caused the damage to the bridge. He proposed the setting up of an iron bridge on a temporary basis.
BJP leader Palvai Harish alleged that local TRS MLA Koneru Konappa and his associates were behind the illegal sand mining at Andevelli and officials have failed to take action against the errant.
