PHULBANI: In a stark reflection of the lack of basic infrastructure in Kandhamal district, residents of a remote village under Phiringia block are risking their lives by swimming across a flooded river using large aluminium topes to access essential supplies during monsoon.
Continuous rainfall over the past several days has caused Bagh river to overflow, completely cutting off Dumergata village under Salaguda gram panchayat from the outside world. With no bridge or all-weather road connectivity, villagers are forced to cross the turbulent river to reach markets, schools and hospitals.
Around 20 families reside in this isolated village, which is surrounded by dense forests and hills. The lack of a bridge and all-weather road poses a severe threat during medical emergencies. Villagers first have to carry patients on makeshift stretchers for nearly two km through challenging terrain to reach the riverbank. They then ferry them across the rushing waters using large aluminium topes or wooden logs before arranging further transport to the nearest hospital on the other side.
According to residents, the situation has become so dire that almost every household now owns a large aluminium container or keeps specially selected wooden logs specifically for crossing the river during the rainy season.
Trilochan Bindhani, a villager, said, “Every monsoon, our lives come to a standstill. If someone falls ill, reaching a hospital becomes a battle for survival. We have no option but to risk our lives while crossing the river.”
The villagers alleged that despite repeated appeals over the years, the local administration has failed to construct a bridge or provide dependable road connectivity. They urged the district administration and the state government to take immediate steps to construct a bridge before a major tragedy occurs.
Block development officer (BDO) of Phringia Anup Avisek Behera admitted that the villagers have been demanding for a bridge over Bagh river since long. “Last year, the matter was intimated to higher authorities. There is a fair-weather road from the nearby Badapaju village to Dumergata on the other side of the river. We are planning to make it all-weather so that the problem will be resolved,” the BDO added.
