Sanja river has been the sorrow of people living in Kendugadi village under Khunta block of Mayurbhanj district. In the absence of a bridge, the villagers are facing a lot of hardships in commuting.
To venture out of the village for shopping, medical emergencies, or other works, the only way is to wade through the river. If the villagers construct a bamboo bridge spending from their own pockets, it helps them to some extent. However, in rainy season, their village remains cut off from the rest of the world.
The villagers alleged that they face the real problem when they have to shift a pregnant woman or a patient during rainy season when the river is full to its brim. "Before elections, leaders make rounds of our village on regular basis with promises to solve our long-standing problem. But once the elections are over, they not only forget their promise but their appearances too become rare and scarce," rued Kulamani Sethi, a villager.
Echoing in a similar way, another villager, Ratnakar Singh, said the nearest hospital is the Udala government hospital.
“In case of emergencies, we rush patients to the hospital which is not an easy task. In the absence of a bridge, no ambulance can reach our village. We have to arrange a make-shift stretcher or a cot to carry a patient to the other side of the river. Only after crossing the waters, we shift the patient to an ambulance to reach the hospital. A solution to this perennial problem has been in our wish list for several years with none paying heed to it," alleged Singh.
The villagers alleged it is not always safe to wade through the water or walk on the makeshift bamboo bridge particularly when the river is in full spates.
Udala legislator Bhskar Madhei, when contacted, said, "I have raised the villagers' issue in the Assembly. Moreover, I have also taken up the issue with Rural Development Minister Susant Singh, requesting intervention. He assured me that soon steps will be taken to build a bridge across the river. Clubbing the proposed bridge under 'Biju Setu Yojana', tender will soon be floated and the construction work will begin," he said.