No roads, complete neglect: This Odisha village battles daily hardship sans basic infrastructure

In a sorry state of infrastructure and accessibility in the fast-growing and rapidly modernising state of Odisha, Bagicha Sahi, located just a few kilometers from Remuna town in the Balasore district, appears to be a village that remains trapped in time.

Despite its proximity to urban centers and its location in coastal Odisha, it has no motorable road, with residents still relying on makeshift bamboo bridges and muddy trails to access the outside world. Even then, the few available paths are narrow and waterlogged, riddled with open drains and makeshift structures.

Healthcare in Jeopardy Due to Lack of Roads

To add to this alarming scenario, ambulances cannot enter this village due to the lack of roads, and in cases of emergencies, patients must be carried several kilometers on cots or bamboo stretchers by neighbors and relatives before they can reach a point where a vehicle can be summoned.

“We’ve informed everyone from local leaders to ministers to district officials. All we get are empty promises. The lack of connectivity affects every facet of daily life, from health and education to livelihoods,” said Lakshmimani Singh, a resident of the village.

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The Harsh Reality of Daily Survival

Ironically, the only route that can accommodate a vehicle is a three-kilometer road leading from Mayurbhanj, not Balasore, but using it is a financial strain.

“If we go to collect a Rs 1,000 government allowance, nearly Rs 700 goes just for hiring a vehicle,” stated Dolly Singh, another resident.

Sources reported that Bagicha Sahi is home to predominantly Scheduled Caste and tribal families with households living below the poverty line. As a result, when a working member leaves the village in search of employment, it often means there is no food cooked in the household that day.

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Education on Unstable Ground

In another unwelcome sight, the village’s lone primary school lies in a dilapidated state with no proper infrastructure or safe approach road. Yet, children, some as young as six, risk walking the hazardous trails daily just to attend classes.

“We’ve been demanding a road since my grandfather’s time, but nobody listens,” lamented Paramaswar Singh, the school’s head teacher.

Meanwhile, Balasore MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi stated that he is aware of the situation and will draft a solution soon. "I had visited the village a while back and had asked the locals to file a public petition which would then be submitted for Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana. It is still on the cards and will be done," he said.

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A Stark Reminder of Neglect

More than 77 years after Independence, Bagicha Sahi remains an unfortunate symbol of rural neglect. Despite repeated appeals and a glaring lack of basic infrastructure, the village continues to be overlooked, with its residents surviving on fading hope. Additionally, many of its locals have lamented that despite the advancements in technology, they are still living in the pre-independence era.

(Reported by Prakash Mohanty)