The long cherished dream of an inter-State bridge across river Godavari connecting Kaleshwaram temple shrine in Telangana and neighbouring Maharashtra State has been completed.
Though, the bridge is not officially inaugurated, the authorities have allowed movement of traffic since a fortnight on it for the benefit of the commuters. People living in Gadchirowli and Chandrapur districts of Maharashtra State were earlier part of the Hyderabad State. After the formation of Maharashtra State, this region which was on the other side of the river was included in the neighbouring state.
The bridge measuring 1.6 kilometres across the river was constructed at a cost of Rs. 241.7 crore under Integrated Action Plan (IAP). It would reduce the distance between Hyderabad and Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh State. It was delayed due to flood waters in the river. Maharashtra governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao had also visited the project site in 2014 and instructed the officials to expedite the bridge works.
People living in Gadchirowli and Chandrapur mostly Sironcha region speak Telugu though Marathi is the medium of instruction in the schools there. People living in Mahadevpur mandal in Telangana State and neighbouring Maharashtra State share common ties. Earlier, the people of both the regions used to cross the river by using ferryboats to cross the river. The people from Maharashtra state used to cross the river on ferryboat and do various businesses and health needs in Mahadevpur and even reach Bhupalapalli of Warangal district. Similarly, the people from Mahadevpur mandal also cross the river to region Maharashtra as they have relatives in the region.
Though the bridge is not officially inaugurated, the authorities have allowed traffic
