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.
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.
In addition to its structural failings, the bridge is prone to submersion during heavy rains, cutting off access to Welimada and forcing residents to take long detours. Built at a low level and unable to withstand rising waters, the crossing becomes impassable during adverse weather.
Despite repeated appeals over the years, no steps have been taken to replace the bridge, residents complain. The issue, they believe, stems from bureaucratic deadlock, as the structure is located in an area between the Welimada and Uva Paranagama local authorities, splitting responsibility between two Pradeshiya Sabhas and Divisional Secretariats.
The bridge is a vital artery for villagers in Kotawera, Galgewatta, Moragolla, and surrounding areas, providing access to schools, government offices, and key road networks. Due to mounting safety concerns, parents are now seen escorting children across and waiting at either end of the bridge until they return home from school.
Residents are urging the government to construct a new, elevated bridge with proper safety railings and sufficient clearance to withstand floodwaters—a long-overdue measure, they say, that would save lives and restore safe passage to their communities.
Text and Pic
by Samantha Kumara