Nobody's bridge a deathtrap due to bureaucratic tug of war

Residents of Kotawera and neighbouring villages are calling on the government to replace the dilapidated Galgewatta Kapukotuwa Bridge across the Uma Oya, following the recent deaths of two schoolchildren.

- BY SAMANTHA KUMARA

The bridge, located near Welimada National School and serving as the main link between Kotawera and the Welimada-Badulla road, has become a deathtrap, residents say. It has no handrails and is barely wide enough for two people to pass. It structure poses serious safety risks particularly for schoolchildren who use it daily.

Parents say that as the bridge has no guardrails children leap into the river for fun, a practice that turned fatal just a week ago when two boys drowned.