Hatadihi: ‘Development’ is the byword for all parties during elections. But many villages in Keonjhar district still have little or no basic facilities. Even today many people have to trek kilometres on foot and cross rivers on country boats to reach block and panchayat offices.
The Centre and the state are pumping in crores to improve transport facilities, but the experience of people in remote Dalik village surrounded by Salandi Hadgad Dam in Hatadihi block of Keonjhar district is just the opposite.
With no bridge and road, villagers here depend on unregistered, worn out boats to reach block and panchayat offices. The recent Hukitola boat tragedy has failed to wake up the administration to the risky ferry service in the district as the boats here blatantly violate the Odisha Boat Rules, 2004, endangering the lives of thousands, including women and children.
Wooden boats overcrowded with passengers are a common sight here. As the reservoir is the shortest route, many such boats are engaged in ferrying people here daily.
The labourers depend on unauthorised boats for going to other villages for work. Hundreds of children take the risky boat ride every day to attend schools in neighbouring panchayats.
As there are no upper primary and high schools here, the children of this village have to travel 200 metres on the river or walk along a six-km rundown road to reach their schools. The road is muddy and in a bad state.
Villagers said the travel time in a boat is less than 15 minutes while it is nearly an hour by road. So they prefer to take the boat despite knowing the fact that it is risky. Students who cross the river on boats to reach their schools, have to carry another set of uniform in their bags, so that if they get wet they can change.
The demand for a bridge or a proper road to the village has been ignored by the authorities.
As the village is a hilly area people cannot engage in farming. They depend on forest produce, and have to use boats to go to markets to sell it.
With no road, facilities like electricity, safe drinking water and buses are a daydream for the villagers.
Sarpanch Ashok Jena and villagers Dora Ho, Ranga Ho, Krushna Ho, Nar Singh, Champut Ho and others demanded that the administration should look into their problems before tragedies occur.
PNN