Amaravati, February 27, 2026: Construction of the Purnapadu-Labesu bridge over the Nagavali river in Komarada mandal remains incomplete despite sanctions dating back to 2006.
The high-level bridge, meant to connect dozens of tribal hamlets to the mandal headquarters just 3 km away, has seen repeated halts across administrations.
It reached about 70% completion before stopping again, with the latest NDA government approval in August 2025 at ₹15.80 crore yet to translate into resumed work.
At least 100 students from around 60 tribal hamlets under 31 gram panchayats now wade through the river to attend their Intermediate public exams, facing serious safety risks especially if waters rise.
Without the bridge, they face a lengthy 45-km alternate route via Kurupam and Parvathipuram, which eats into precious time during exams.
