SAMBALPUR: The dream of getting direct connectivity to the mainland is soon going to be a reality for residents of Chardapali gram panchayat in Bargarh’s Paikmal block as work on the bridge project over Ong river is underway in full swing and is expected to be completed much ahead of the deadline.
Chardapali, which comes under the Padampur sub-division, is situated along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border. The bridge project to connect the panchayat with Bargarh headquarters town was taken up after villagers of Chardapali expressed their willingness to merge with Chhattisgarh two years back.
Subsequently, the state government decided to construct the bridge over Ong the same year and the work started in November last year. While the deadline for completion of the project was set for May 2025, the bridge is expected to be ready much ahead of time due to the fast pace of work.
Executive engineer of the Rural Development department, Padampur Shibaji Pradhan said work on the Rs 18.55 crore bridge project is going on in full swing. It is a prestress girder bridge with a length of 225.4 metres and 7.5-metre width. Currently, the girder construction up to the cap level has been completed.
“Though the deadline is 2025, we are trying to complete the work sooner so that the villagers will not have to face any inconvenience in the next monsoon,” Pradhan said. Official sources informed that the work is expected to be completed between December this year and March 2024.
Chardapali panchayat comprises Luhurakot, Lahandipur, Chardapali, Changria (Gastidihi) and Gunchadihi villages with a population of around 5,000. The villagers have been suffering for years due to a lack of road connectivity as Ong separates the panchayat from the Padamapur sub-division.
After their long-held demand for a bridge over river Ong went unheard, the villagers in February 2021 approached Chhattisgarh’s Saraipali MLA Kismat Lal Nand expressing their willingness to merge with the neighbouring state.
Sources said in the absence of direct connectivity, villagers are forced to cross the river on boats during monsoon to reach Padampur and other areas of Bargarh district.