Major portion of Andevelli bridge collapses in Asifabad

A pillar of the bridge tilted and partially sunk due to heavy rains, posing a threat of collapse to the structure in July. It was slightly skewed in the monsoon last year.

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: A major portion of a high-level bridge constructed across the Peddavagu stream caved in near Andevelli village in Kaghaznagar mandal on Wednesday. No casualties were reported as traffic on the structure was already suspended.

A pillar of the bridge tilted and partially sunk due to heavy rains, posing a threat of collapse to the structure in July. It was slightly skewed in the monsoon last year. Two pillars and three slabs of the structure crumbled at around 2 am on Wednesday. Some locals shot photos and videos of the bridge and shared them on social media platforms.

On learning about the incident, Sirpur (T) MLA Koneru Konappa and Panchayat Raj Executive Engineer Rammohan inspected the bridge. Konappa said efforts would be made to address the challenge at the earliest. Authorities of the Panchayat Raj department have already prepared proposals to repair the pillar at an estimated cost of Rs 3 crore.

In order to prevent human loss, local police erected walls on either entrances of the structure and prohibited traffic. Motorists were advised to follow alternative routes to reach Kaghaznagar town. People of certain villages in Kaghaznagar and many villages in Dahegaon mandal were forced to take the Bheemini-Tandur route to reach Kaghaznagar, travelling around 50 kilometers more than the distance and shelling huge amounts on fares.

Built by the Panchayat Raj department with the help of funds from the World Bank in 2001, the bridge connects many villages of both Dahegaon and Bheemini to Kaghaznagar town. People of the two mandals use the Jagannathpur-Andevelli stretch to reach the town to buy groceries and for medical emergencies. Students too depend on the town for schools and colleges.