In a growing plea for attention, residents of two tribal villages in Manyam district, Andhra Pradesh, have expressed their desire to merge with the neighboring state of Odisha.

These villagers have cited persistent neglect from successive Andhra Pradesh governments regarding their longstanding demands for essential infrastructure, including road connectivity and the construction of a crucial rope bridge over the Nagavali river.

The two villages in question, Rebba and Vanadhara, are part of the Chollapadam panchayat within the Komarada mandal and are located along the border of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Situated approximately 12 kilometers from the Komarada mandal headquarters, these communities have faced numerous hardships. Recently, a video depicting locals risking their lives to transport two ailing children to a hospital by makeshift bamboo boat across the swollen Nagavali river garnered attention on social media. This video emphasized the lack of road connectivity and a bridge in Rebba village, exacerbating the villagers' challenges.

A resident of Rebba village, K Akhil, lamented the plight of these two villages, which have a combined population of over 500. He noted that their struggles have persisted over the years, particularly during the rainy season when crossing the Nagavali river becomes perilous. The absence of a bridge or road has necessitated life-threatening journeys to access essential services in Komarada. Akhil further voiced their long-standing plea for a rope bridge over the Nagavali River to connect their communities with the rest of the mandal, asserting that their appeals have largely gone unanswered by the Andhra Pradesh government.

Expressing disillusionment with the lack of infrastructure development in their villages, Akhil suggested that merging with Odisha might offer a more promising future. He pointed to the Kotia cluster in Odisha as an example where the government has been investing significantly in developing infrastructure, which could serve as a model for their villages' improvement.

CPM leader K Samba Murthy echoed the sentiment of despair, highlighting that Rebba and Vanadhara villages have seen little progress even after 75 years of Indian Independence. He emphasized that the absence of road connectivity and the need to cross the Nagavali river using makeshift boats for a significant portion of the year have hampered the villagers' daily lives.

In response to these grievances, the villagers staged protests outside the tahsildar's office in Komarada and submitted a representation expressing their desire to merge with Odisha. They expressed their disappointment with the district administration, asserting that their existence seemed to have been forgotten. Tahsildar Radha Krishan assured the protestors that he would communicate their plight to the district collector, signaling a ray of hope for the marginalized communities seeking better infrastructure and quality of life.