JEYPORE: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) directed the chief secretary of Odisha government and the Koraput collector to file an action taken report (ATR) within four weeks regarding the prolonged injustice faced by lakhs of individuals reliant on the Kolab reservoir route for communication in the district.
The move follows a petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, who took up the cause of dire circumstances of people residing in various villages across Koraput, Lamataput, and Nandapur blocks.
These villagers, allegedly deprived of basic amenities, risk their lives crossing the dilapidated bridge over the Kolab reservoir, violating their Right to Life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
Despite earlier interventions, including a petition in 2015, where the NHRC instructed the district administration to file an inquiry report, the situation remains unresolved.
The lack of a concrete bridge connecting Suku and Koraput forces residents to travel long distances to access essential services such as healthcare and education.