Daringbadi: Resentment is brewing among the inhabitants of inaccessible Burangia and its adjoining villages in Kirkuti panchayat in this block over the delay in construction of a bridge to cross the river Khadag that flows through the villages.
Irate residents held the officials concerned responsible for the inordinate delay. On the other hand, the administration’s boat service has not become operational due to lack of a boatman.
People have to row the boat all by themselves, often putting their lives at risk. “The contractual agency that has taken up the bridge project and the department engineer do not show up,” complained villagers Brundaban Sahu, Mahadev Pradhan, Ashok Pradhan and others.
The angry villagers warned of taking to the streets. Around 700 residents of Burangia and its neighbour villages Dabarbandha, Mundasahi, Budelpadi, Jharmunda, Kekarmaha, Lengarsuga and Patinajur depend on the boat to cross the river.
This not only takes a lot of time, but also endangers their lives. The villagers have to transport their rations, vegetables, paddy, turmeric and other crops with the help of the boat.
A local, Sada Nayak who had come in contact with a livewire, died after failing to reach a hospital in time September 30. On the other hand, the cyclonic storm Titli and the subsequent floods brought untold sufferings to the residents as the river swelled.
The villages were cut-off from the rest of the world for more than two weeks until the water receded.
Boat service was launched August 26 after six women were swept away in the River after a tightrope they were using to cross the river snapped. Luckily, the women were rescued.
A girl had similarly saved the lives of her classmates while they were being swept away after the rope they were using to cross the river had snapped midway three years back.
The work on the bridge across the river is yet to be completed though it started in 2014, the villagers said, adding though the boat service was helpful, it was not a permanent solution.
When contacted, junior engineer Bijay Rout said the contractual agency was given the deadline till December to complete the bridge project.
Block development officer Trilochan Patra said he would draw the attention of the higher authorities to the issue.
PNN
