KARIMNAGAR: The farming community welcomes monsoon to cultivate their crops but the people in nine villages and eight hamlets in Mahadevapur mandal become anxious when it begins to rain as they get disconnected from the rest of the world due to lack of bridges on several streams and rivulets.
Located deep in the jungle, along the banks of river Godavari, the tribals in Peddampet, Lankelagadda, Palimela, Pankena, Sarwaipet, Mukunur, Dammur, Burugudem and Neelampalli villages have been facing hardship since many decades but the officials have not addressed the issue so far.
The rivulets and streams are in spate once there is heavy rain and transportation, communication systems to the villages is disrupted. During rainy season, the tribals are invariably forced to ferry on small boats to even buy their groceries, essentials and medicines from nearby villages, risking their lives.
Many villagers were washed away in the waters when they ventured to cross the rivulets in the past. Some others died due to lack of medical aid as they could not be shifted to hospitals when affected by illness due to lack of proper transportation facilities.
On July 12, Kaveri Sujata, who delivered a baby at her in-laws’ house at Parkal in Warangal, was forced to wait for several hours on the banks of a rivulet at Peddampet, which swelled due to rains. She was on her way to Palimela, her native place. Such instances are not new for the people of these remote hamlets.
Responding to the perennial problem, the government initiated construction of four bridges over rivulets and streams in 2015. However, the works are being executed at a snail’s pace providing no respite to the villagers. Strangely, even formation of separate Telangana could not put an end to their woes.
Earlier, deputy engineer of roads and building department V. Jeevan Kumar said the works of the four bridges would be completed by the end of financial year 2016. However, due to rains and unfavourable conditions, the construction was halted. The contractors were told to expedite the works,” he added.
