Tribals build road to bring borewell rig to hamlet amid water woes in ASR district

Visakhapatnam: Tribal families in the remote Maralova hamlet of Alluri Sitharama Raju district are voluntarily building a one-kilometre road after officials said road access was necessary for a borewell rig vehicle to reach the village. The village is currently facing a drinking water problem.Villagers said they have been travelling several kilometres to fetch drinking water and recently appealed to the district collector to provide safe drinking water facilities. Following the request, officials from the rural water supply department inspected the area and informed them that a basic road was required for the borewell rig vehicle to reach the village.After this, the villagers held a meeting and decided to construct the road themselves through voluntary labour. For the past four days, the tribal residents have been clearing rocks and levelling the path to create road access. Since the village is located on a steep hill about one kilometre from the main road, connectivity remains difficult.The villagers appealed to the authorities to sanction funds under the employment guarantee scheme for permanent road construction. They said many officials were not even aware of the village’s location despite repeated requests.Villagers also said children walk to the nearby Gadilova village for schooling through forest paths and difficult terrain. They urged the government to provide proper road connectivity at the earliest. Villagers, including Kanchuri Gangulu, Mahesh and K Gangamma, participated in the voluntary work.The villagers further appealed to the ITDA Paderu project officer to visit the remote village and sanction funds for the road immediately.