Bhogapuram residents seek road repairs around new airport

Residents near Bhogapuram’s Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport say construction traffic has damaged village roads and made farmland harder to reach, The Hindu reported on October 12.

Villagers in Dibbalapalem, Ravada, Byreddipalem, Gudepuvalasa and Kancheru are asking the government to restore road links. The report says development of the airport on nearly 2,500 acres has disrupted connections between nearby communities.

Farmers in Dibbalapalem, Kavulavada and Jammayyapalem say damaged approach roads prevent them from taking produce home and transporting fertilisers and other supplies to their fields.

Farmers K. Suribabu and A. Applanaidu asked for attention to the rural road network. Another resident, Subba Rao, said routes previously usable on foot or by tractor had become difficult even for walking.

Residents have raised the issue with Jana Sena legislator Lokam Naga Madhavi, who said she would take it up with the government. Unnamed officials told The Hindu that funding shortages had delayed new village and field-access roads. No repair completion date was announced.

The report also describes a separate access problem for airport passengers. M.S.S. Mohan asked the National Highways Authority of India to connect service roads to the airport. He said service-road users had to travel at least eight kilometres to reach the national highway, currently their route into the airport.