Roads damaged during Bhogapuram airport construction leave villages cut off, farmers unable to reach fields

Heavy vehicles used to build the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district have damaged the roads of the villages around it, residents say. They want the government to lay new ones. Villages such as Dibbalapalem, Ravada, Byreddipalem, Gudepuvalasa, Kancheru and others have asked the government to ensure proper roads.

Many villages lost easy connectivity and were separated from one another after the airport was built on nearly 2,500 acres. Many farmers are also unable to go to their fields because the small approach roads from the main villages have been damaged. The farmers of Dibbalapalem, Kavulavada and Jammayyapalem have been facing difficulties in the absence of roads. They are unable to bring farm produce home or carry fertilisers and other inputs to the fields.

Farmers K. Suribabu, A. Applanaidu and others requested the government to focus on the road network and approach roads to the fields. “Earlier, we used to walk and move our tractors and other vehicles to the fields. But now, it has become a Herculean task to walk on the roads,” Mr. Subba Rao said.

Many farmers brought the issue to the notice of Jana Sena Party (JSP) MLA Lokam Naga Madhavi, who assured them that she would take it up with the government. Officials said a shortage of funds had delayed the construction of the new roads and approach roads.

Passengers too

Air passengers are also facing difficulties because there is no connectivity to the airport from the service roads. All passengers have to use the highway to enter and exit the airport. M.S.S. Mohan, a passenger, asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to provide proper connectivity from the service roads to the airport, since people living in and around the airport also need easy access to it. Passengers using the service roads had to travel at least eight kilometres to reach the national highway, the only route to the airport, he said.