Lack of road forces Odisha’s Kandhamal villagers to trek hilly terrains to get PDS rice 

Kandhamal's Dangesi villagers trek 20 km for PDS rice due to poor roads, highlighting the urgent need for infrastructure. They face high transport costs and lack of basic amenities.

Lack of road forces Odisha’s Kandhamal villagers to trek hilly terrains to get PDS rice 

Villagers with rice bags on their heads trekking hilly roads

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In Kandhamal district's Dangesi village under Raikia block, residents face significant difficulties obtaining government-distributed Public Distribution System (PDS) rice. The lack of road infrastructure forces villagers to trek approximately 20 km of treacherous forest terrain on foot. On their way home, they cover around 15 km of the total distance in an auto rickshaw and the rest five kilometers on foot. 

This extensive commute is not only physically demanding but also financially taxing, with villagers paying Rs 2 per kilogram as a transport fee. For the people of Dangesi village, the basic amenity of accessible food supply channels remains a distant aspiration, painting a grim picture of the region.

The situation underscores the need for better infrastructural facilities to ease the burdens of the underprivileged residents living in the inaccessible Dangesi village. 

Also Read: Alleging government apathy, Odisha villagers build road by themselves

“We have to cover a distance of about 20 km to reach Manikeswar gram panchayat office and on our way home we along with our PDS rice travel the first 15 km in an auto rickshaw and walk the rest five kilometers carrying the rice bags on our shoulders to reach our village. We have been experiencing this hardship for years,” said a woman.  

Due to the lack of road communication, the real problem arises when a seriously ill patient needs to be shifted to a hospital.
 
“In the absence of a road, we are facing a lot of difficulties. The suffering of the aged people can well be imagined. We are facing problems not only in bringing PDS rice but also in shifting patients to hospitals. If a villager falls sick and needs medical attention, s/he has to be carried either in a sling or on a cot for a long distance. Our village has no Anganwadi centre, so our children are also deprived of education” rued a girl. 

Apart from communication problems, the villagers are also facing problems in getting pure drinking water. 

“We don’t have a drinking water facility in our village. Because of this, we are collecting our daily quota of water from streams and creeks,” said a woman. 

 

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