Deadline For Completion Of Gurupriya Bridge Extended Again

Malkangiri: The deadline for completion of the much-awaited Gurupriya bridge in the cut-off areas of Chitrakonda block in Odisha’s Malkangiri district has been extended once again.

While the extension of the deadline has not been specified, sources said it will take at least four weeks for completion of the bridge.

“As per the existing construction plan of the bridge, the girders were to be lifted through the help of the pontoons. Each girder weighing 120 tonnes has a length of 62 metres. Erection of each girder is done in seven segments. But as the water level of the Balimela reservoir has gone down by 12 metres, we have no other option than to completely change the construction design of the bridge,” chief executive engineer of Gurupriya project NC Pal told media persons here on Monday.

Stating that the construction work is in full swing by the technical team, he said the construction of the bridge along with all periphery works will be over tentatively by the end of April.

This is the fifth time that the deadline of the completion of Gurupriya bridge has been extended.

The completion of the bridge over Janbai river will immensely benefit more than 30,000 people in 151 villages of 10 Panchayats in Chitrakonda Block. Absence of a bridge has forced the people to depend on boats as the only medium of communication to the mainland.