Rayagada, 31st July 2025: A bridge located at Kereda, on the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border in Rayagada district, is now in a dangerously dilapidated condition. Though constructed nearly 60 years ago, no repair or maintenance work has been undertaken by the concerned department.
Despite its condition, hundreds of heavy vehicles cross the bridge daily. This road is the only transportation route for transporting raw materials to industries located in Kalahandi, Koraput, Balangir, and Raipur. Major industrial units like Vedanta, JK, IMFA, and NALCO rely heavily on this bridge for freight transport.
The deteriorating structure, overloaded with the daily burden of four districts, has now become a potential disaster zone. Locals fear that an accident could occur at any time. Below the bridge, the district administration has initiated a water conservation project, raising further concerns about the bridge’s future stability.
Additionally, huge potholes have formed at the entry point and middle of the bridge. This often causes heavy vehicles to get stuck, leading to traffic congestion. The bridge is part of a key route to Visakhapatnam, and emergency services are being disrupted.
In one tragic incident a few days ago, a vehicle carrying a patient from Bhawanipatna got stuck on the bridge, resulting in the patient’s death due to delayed treatment. The incident caused public outrage in the border area.
Residents are demanding immediate repair of this dangerously weak bridge to prevent further tragedies.
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