The scenes of a pregnant women being assisted by the personnel of Odisha Fire Services department to cross a swollen river with the help of a rope on a stretcher in Talapada panchayat in Keonjhar district speaks volumes about the problems faced by people and the available infrastructure in rural areas of Odisha.
Though the Fire Services department personnel were no less than ‘messiah’ for pregnant woman, Basanti Mohanty of Mundasahi, the scenes of shifting her from one end to the other in such precaurious condition is enough to send chill down the bone. Such an operation over Samakoi river was executed to shift Basanti to Telkoi hospital.
However, Basanti was later shifted to Keonjhar after her condition deteriorated. Due to absence of proper road connectivity and bridges over small rivulets and nullahs have now become concern not only for the inhabitants in Keonjhar but also for the local residents in different parts of the state.
Such miseries of people usually compound during the monsoon season as several risks their lives to cross swelling rivers and nullahs every year. The district administration officials could not be contacted over the matter.
Miseries From Dhenkanal
The relatives of another lady patient in Kankadahad block in Dhenkanal district had also struggled to shift her on a stretcher due to absence of proper road connectivity. The patient Sanju’s relatives at Ekul village had to cross two nullahs before she was shifted to the hospital in an ambulance.
Not only the residents of Ekul village, people in Sekul, Putipal and Kota villages also face numerous problems due to absence of proper road infrastructure. These areas are located close to Dhenkanal, Jajpur and Keonjhar districts. However, the residents have a harrowing time during three to four months of the monsoon season every year.
“We do not know what proper road connectivity means. Only after my wife reached hospital, I took a sigh of relief,” said Sanju’s husband. Jyotishankar Sahu, Kamakhyanagar Sub-Collector, on the other hand, said, “When there is a heavy rain, there is waterlogging for some time due to the stream. I have no detail information about the particular incident. However, there is a proposal to construct a culvert.” Scenes
No Different In Kandhamal…
Come rainy season, the Gambhari river compounds the miseries for the residents of Adimaha panchayat in Kandhamal district. Be it locals or the students, everybody has to cross the river in dangerous conditions. Though there in an alternate road, but it will make them to travel 30 kms which is another area of concern.
With no other viable option, the residents depend on crossing the Gambhari river to go to Baliguda and Mahasing areas.
“During rainy season, our miseries increase. It is now for the last 70 years that I have been crossing the river this way to travel to Baliguda,” said a local resident.
“We have to cross the river to go to school. If we take the main road, we have to cover around 30 kms,” said a student.
The local residents allege that despite assurances by the elected representatives, no step has been taken for the construction of a bridge over the river here.