Road woes of Konaseema to end with NH 216E project
Rajamahendravaram: For decades, the Konaseema region, which was once part of the undivided East Godavari district, effectively remained without a direct National Highway. National Highway 216 (Kattipudi-Pamarru) passes along one side of the region, and National Highway 216A (Rajahmundry-Eluru) passes along the other side, but they are not connected. After Konaseema was formed as a separate district, the stretch from Pottilanka village to Ravulapalem was brought under the National Highway network. Still, the lack of direct connectivity between NH 216 and NH 216A continued to be a major gap.
The Central Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has now approved a new National Highway project, designated as NH 216E, which will connect these two highways. An amount of Rs 630 crore has been sanctioned for the project, which is being seen as a major boost for the region. Travelling from Ravulapalem, known as the gateway to Konaseema district, to the district headquarters, Amalapuram, is a distance of just 31 kilometres. However, the journey often turns into a long and tiring experience. Narrow roads, sharp and unsafe curves, and several bridges over canals slow down traffic. Even express buses take more than an hour to cover this short stretch, testing the patience of daily commuters and passengers.
This road is vital for the region’s economy. Agricultural produce, seafood, coconuts, coconut-based products, spices, rice, and prawns are transported every day from Amalapuram to Vijayawada and Rajamahendravaram. In return, manufactured goods, flowers from Kadiyam, garments and other business materials from Vijayawada reach Amalapuram regularly. Transporters and traders say that the existing narrow road causes frequent delays and operational difficulties for these commercial movements.
A land acquisition notification was issued in the second week of January. Locals describe this as an important step by the Centre to improve transport facilities for the people of Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district. As part of the project, the road from Amalapuram to Ravulapalem, from kilometre 0.000 to kilometre 31.600, will be widened. Keeping future traffic in mind, the road will be developed either as a two-lane highway with paved shoulders or as a four-lane road. Objections, if any, can be submitted in writing with supporting documents to the Joint Collector by the 28th of this month.
For this project, 55.98 hectares of land will be acquired from 727 farmers and house owners across 22 villages between Amalapuram and Ravulapalem. Officials said that the existing road will be widened and, in some stretches, a greenfield highway will be constructed through agricultural fields. The new highway is expected to ease traffic pressure on the busy Kothapeta and Ravulapalem roads, which currently face daily congestion.
According to officials, the new road will connect directly from the Palivela bridge through Vedireswaram to the National Highway, avoiding entry into Kothapeta town. From the Eedarapalli bridge in Amalapuram, the road will pass through Mesalapalli, Mukkamala, Avidi, Khandriga, Palivela and Vedireswaram over a total length of 31.6 kilometres.
The project will use modern technology and improved construction standards, making travel to Amalapuram much easier. With uninterrupted National Highway connectivity, travel time from Rajahmundry and Vijayawada to Amalapuram is expected to reduce significantly. The late Lok Sabha Speaker GMC Balayogi had earlier proposed a National Highway for Konaseema and made efforts in that direction, but the project did not move forward at that time due to various reasons. Now, during the tenure of his son and present MP Ganti Harish Madhur, the proposal has finally received central approval, bringing happiness among Balayogi’s supporters and followers in the region. At the same time, there are allegations that officials did not adequately publicise the land acquisition notification. Farmers say the notification was issued with survey numbers and land details but without the names of landowners. Concerns have also been raised that government Poramboku lands and residential houses are included in the acquisition. Some locals allege that changes were made to the road alignment due to pressure, resulting in houses in Indupalli village and nearby areas being affected. They suggest that developing the road from Eedarapalli through Indupalli and along the canal bund would reduce damage to residential properties.
After the land acquisition process is completed, tenders for the NH project will be invited. MP Harish Madhur said efforts would be made to complete land acquisition smoothly with public consent. He stated that the coalition government aims to build this National Highway as a lasting gift to Konaseema, improving connectivity and supporting the region’s development for years to come.
