Incomplete bridge projects turn nightmares for people in Asifabad

Long-pending bridge projects in Gundi and Khanargaon villages of Kumram Bheem Asifabad district continue to cause hardships to residents, especially during the monsoon. Villagers remain cut off due to delays in construction and have urged authorities to expedite the projects.

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Improved connectivity is vital for rural communities, but incomplete bridge projects have turned into nightmares for residents. Prolonged delays in the construction of bridges have left several villages isolated during the monsoon.

For instance, an inordinate delay in the construction of a high-level bridge across a stream is causing severe hardships to residents of Gundi village in Asifabad mandal. The residents are cut off from the outside world once the region receives heavy rains. The hapless residents are left with no alternative but to travel on country rafts for various needs, including medical emergencies, endangering their lives whenever the stream is swollen.

---

The frustrated residents declared that they would boycott Assembly elections if the bridge was not constructed across the stream in 2023. They withdrew their protest when officials assured them that steps would be taken to expedite the work on the bridge. The then in-charge minister Seethakka also promised to realise their long-pending dream. The bridge remains a mirage even three years after her promise.

The long-pending bridge was originally sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs 8.50 crore by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) way back in 2007. The deadline was December 2010. The deadlines were extended multiple times. The cost escalated to Rs 14.40 crore in 2024. Eleven columns have been built so far. Slabs are yet to be constructed.

A similar fate haunts the proposed high-level bridge across a stream at Khanargaon village in Wankidi mandal, with the project being dragged on for a long time. The bridge was sanctioned in 2006 at an estimated cost of Rs 6 crore. The construction of the facility has been stalled due to a fund crunch. A temporary bridge built using earth was washed away by rains in 2025.

People from not only Wankidi mandal but also neighbouring Maharashtra can easily reach Kagaznagar town once the bridge is realised, saving considerable time and fuel. They are now travelling around 20 kilometres more than the Wankidi-Khanargaon route. They urged officials to take steps to expedite the work on the bridge, citing its economic and social benefits.