Road connectivity in border areas of Bhadrachalam Agency and other tribal sub-plan mandals in the district is set to get a major boost.
The Central government has sanctioned a slew of road projects, including several long-span bridges (LSBs), worth ₹172 crore under the Road Connectivity Project for the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas in the undivided Khammam district.
A 1.6-km bridge has been proposed across the Godavari at Parnashala, the famous pilgrim centre in Dummugudem mandal at an estimated cost of ₹200 crore. The proposed bridge is expected to come up between Chinaravigudem in the coal-rich Manuguru mandal and Parnashala.
ADVERTISEMENT
It is intended to improve inter-district and inter-State road connectivity besides providing a better road access to the famous temple town of Bhadrachalam, sources in the Roads and Buildings Department said.
A second bridge of 1.20 km length and 12 metres width over the Godavari is already under construction, parallel to the existing old bridge, at Bhadrachalam town.
The bridge is a vital link on the National Highway 30 (Old NH-221), which connects Ibrahimpatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh.
ADVERTISEMENT
An 8-km BT road encompassing two LSBs has been proposed between the border villages of Peddamidisileru and Bathinapalli in Charla mandal at ₹13.45 crore. The road is expected to provide connectivity to the conflict-ridden areas of Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, considered one of the most militarised zones in the country, sources added.
A major challenge awaits the executing agencies concerned to construct the road close to the volatile Telangana-Chhattisgarh border in view of the spurt in Maoist violence targeting security forces providing protection to the road works in the rebel strongholds of the adjoining south Bastar division of Chhattisgarh.
Maoist rebels had earlier targeted road works in the interior Kurnapalli and other fringe villages dotting the inter-State border, saying that they were meant for quick movement of security forces.