An under-construction bridge in Telangana's Peddapalli collapsed stirring concerns over infrastructure safety and highlighting alleged negligence in construction management. The incident, which occurred around 9:45 pm, saw two of the bridge's five concrete girders plummet to the ground after being battered by strong winds.

Sirikonda Bakka Rao, the sarpanch of Odedu village, recounted a near-miss, stating, Luckily, a marriage party of 65 people on a bus passed by just one minute earlier and escaped being crushed by the concrete.

Visuals shared on social media depicted multiple segments of the bridge strewn across the ground, signaling a significant setback to the ongoing construction efforts. The nearly one-kilometer bridge, spanning the Manair River, was initially inaugurated in 2016 with high hopes of enhancing connectivity in the region.

Initially slated to be completed within a year, the project aimed to link Odedu to Garmillapalli village, promising to significantly reduce travel distances between Manthani, Parakal, and Jammikunta by approximately 50 kilometers. However, delays plagued the project, reportedly due to issues concerning payment and alleged demands for commissions from the contractor.

Locals voiced their discontent, highlighting the contractor's track record of questionable project management. Notably, the same contractor had overseen the construction of a bridge in Vemulawada, which succumbed to heavy rain in 2021, raising questions about the quality and resilience of the infrastructure projects under their purview.

The cost of the project was escalated, and last year another ?11 crore was added to the estimated cost without even 60 per cent of the work being completed, a concerned local remarked, shedding light on financial irregularities surrounding the project.

As authorities assess the damage and investigate the cause of the collapse, the incident underscores the pressing need for stringent oversight and accountability in infrastructure development projects across the region.