Gunupur: The bridge across Vamsadhara river at Gunupur in Rayagada district is in bad shape and its condition is worsening by the day.
This bridge is a lifeline for thousands of people commuting every day to the district headquarters and some areas in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
According to reports, former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik had inaugurated the bridge May 17, 1994. Twentyseven years have passed since then.
Locals have demanded a second bridge across Vamsadhara to facilitate communication.
They alleged, “Hundreds of vehicles ply on the bridge every day. It is in precarious condition as the Works department has failed to undertake its repair and maintenance work.”
Instead of undertaking repairs, the Works department only carries out colouring of bridge’s guard walls and repairs blacktopping every year.
There are big craters on the bridge, while iron rods are protruding out, posing life threat to commuters. Whenever heavy vehicles pass on the bridge, it vibrates vigorously, triggering apprehension regarding a possible disaster, they added.
In 2007, Gumuda bridge was washed away by floodwater. For 12 years, people of Rayagada and Ganjam could not commute on that route and instead they took a detour of 30 km, locals pointed out.
Before there is a disaster, the Works department should do something to ward off communication glitches on the Vamsadhara bridge, as was seen in case of the Gumuda bridge, they said.
Moreover, with each passing day, the bridge has to bear increasing load of heavy vehicles. They observed that the government should consider building another bridge on the river.
The second bridge will ease the load of the existing bridge and help in avoiding a disaster. Raghunath Gamang, Gunupur MLA, said that he would take up the issue of the second bridge across Vamsadhara with the government.
Akshay Das, a social activist of Gunupur, said that the bride was weak. “Earlier, fewer vehicles were plying on the bridge. However, their number has gone up manifold these days,” he added.
Bijay Mishra, the junior engineer of Works department (Gunupur), said that it is an old bridge and it has been proposed that the state government start construction of a second bridge.
PNN