Lanjigarh: Crossing a river to reach school every day may sound impossible for children in urban areas, but for those in villages under Lanjigarh block in Kalahandi district it is an everyday life.
Children of remote villages in the block cross the river daily to reach school. River Ret separates five villages under Lanjigarh block from the block office. Villages on the other side of the river – Salpang, Diabahal, Adesur, Bariguda, and Tentulipada – have a population of at least 5,000 people. All basic facilities elude the village due to lack of a concrete road.
In the absence of a bridge, students either swim or use a wooden stem to cross the river. In a few cases where children are too young, parents carry them on their shoulders and cross the water body.
While things are manageable during summer, things turn worse during rainy season. Despite repeated pleas, the administration has failed to construct a bridge over the river.
Even though the government is constructing Biju Pucca Roads to connect villages with the mainstream. Yet there is no proposal for respective villages under Lanjigarh block.
After repeated demand from the villagers, the district administration had awarded the tender to a local contractor for the construction of a bridge on the river.
Contractor Girish Singh had estimated the cost of the project as 538. 68 lakhs, and started the bridge construction work in September, 2017. Though two years have passed the bridge is in half-constructed condition.
Villagers also face various problems for the river. As the river flooded with rain water, villagers were unable to take two pregnant women to the hospital. As a result, their newborn babies died after their birth.
There are instances of many people dying after drowning in river water during the rainy season. Irked over the situation, villagers threatened that they will hit the streets.
When departmental engineer Basant Behera was asked, he clarified we will go for retendering and start the construction work soon.