Peddapalli (Telangana): On the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, a portion of an under-construction bridge across the Manair River in the Peddapalli district of Telangana collapsed. However, no casualties were reported.
The bridge was expected to reduce the distance between Manthani and Parakal, and Bhupalpally and Jammikunta towns by about 50 kilometres.
The incident took place in Mutharam Mandal's Odedu village. Strong winds caused two cement girders to subside. Since the incident took place after midnight when no one was around, a major tragedy was averted. The villagers reported the incident to the police on Tuesday, April 23.
Construction work for this bridge was underway since 2016. Its estimated cost was Rs 47.40 crore and was scheduled to be completed within a year.
As per sources, appointment of a new contractor, insufficient funding, and other internal factors contributed to the project's delay. The locals were using a makeshift route beneath the bridge for their commutes.
However, angry residents have been complaining that man lives would have been lost had the incident occurred during the daytime. Residents have also lashed out at the administration for the poor quality of the bridge. They have also questioned as to how, in the first place, such bad quality material was used to construct a public property.
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