Odisha: Rayagada villagers join hands for bridge over river
Villagers construct the bridge in Rayagada district
KORAPUT: Residents of Podmora in Rayagada district have built a temporary bridge over the Jhanjhabati river after their repeated pleas to the authorities for building one fell on deaf ears.
Situated about 20 kilometres from the district headquarters town of Rayagada, the village has a population of around 500.
The residents of Podmora and nearby villages of Murdhiguda, Champikota, Gutang and Ralikona face a lot of problems to reach the district headquarters or Kumbhikata panchayat as they have to cross the river in dangerous conditions.
“It was difficult for us to cross the river without a bridge, especially when the water level rises in monsoon. It was a nightmare to shift patients to hospital and students used to cross the river risking their lives. We had demanded a bridge to the authorities many times but to no avail. Hence, we decided to construct it on our own,” said Rabi Hantal, a villager.
It took four days for the villagers to construct the 50m-long bridge using concrete poles. The villagers claimed that even two-wheelers can easily pass over the structure.
Officials said though a plan has been prepared for the construction of a bridge over the Jhanjabati river to provide better communication for the villagers, the work couldn’t progress as a patch of private land falls on the proposed connecting road to the bridge.
“All our attempts to convince the landowner to give up the plot for the road have turned futile. Hence, it has been decided to change the design of the road and construct a new one for which the villagers will have to cover an additional 1km to reach the block headquarters,” said L N Sabat, block development officer, Rayagada.
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