Crossing a rivulet every day is not an easy job. But it’s the order of the day for more than 1,000 people in this mandal, mostly students and employees, who would not take the long road route of 60 km to reach the mandal headquarters.
Most of them prefer crossing the rivulet in a highly risky manner to reach schools, colleges, offices and shops. However, the absence of a bridge offered tribal youth self-employment.
Dandangi Vagu (rivulet) is one of the biggest rivulets in the Agency area and there are about 10 villages, including Dandangi, Gandi, Pocharam, Ravilanka, above the rivulet. Petty businessmen, teachers, students, ANMs, health workers, labourers and NREGS workers have to cross the rivulet to reach Devipatnam, the mandal headquarters, for their daily needs.
Rope/railing bridge not feasible: officials
The bridge across the rivulet constructed about two decades ago collapsed during the heavy floods in the river Godavari. Neither the Integrated Tribal Development Authority (ITDA) nor the government took up the construction of a new bridge.
However, the locals collected Rs.22 lakh and asked officials to lay at least a railing or rope bridge across it, but officials turned it down saying it would not withstand heavy floods during the rainy season.
The locals hit upon a new idea of crossing the rivulet. The youth decided to form a team and transport the vehicles along with people on bamboo poles. More than dozen people have taken up this risky business and are daily collecting Rs.30 per head, including for vehicles, for transporting them across the rivulet.
“If the rivulet is in spate we collect more [money] and for multiple tickets (to and fro) we collect less. However, we are not charging anything from pregnant women, physically challenged and senior citizens,” said Somi Reddy, a tribal youth of Dandangi village.
When contacted, ITDA Project Officer K.V.N. Chakradhara Babu said that they had examined the feasibility of a rope bridge but it would not withstand heavy floods.
He also said that Devipatnam mandal was the first mandal vulnerable for submergence if flood waters crossed Papikondalu and entered East Godavari district.
