Aul: People of three villages-Padanipala, Daitaripur and Kalamada Sasan of Kendrapara district are now having a harrowing time due to absence of a bridge that can connect them to the outside world.
All the three villages are surrounded by two rivers- Kharasrota and Kani rivers.
The miseries of people have been compounded after the approach road built to the three villages near Namtara was washed away some fortnight ago.
As a result, the villagers are facing many hardships especially during medical exigencies and bringing groceries and articles from outside.
Gangadhara Das, a resident of Kalamada Sasan said, "As the village is surrounded by water from all sides, we face many problems. However, a contractor had built the approach road near Namtara which has been washed away in the strong current of the river."
Expressing similar views, Suresh Mallick, another resident of Kalamada Sasan said, "To carry patients to a hospital or purchase grocery, we face problems throughout the year."
The villagers in 2009 had moved the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) over such problems in communication following which the district administration was directed to construct a bridge at the earliest. But due unknown reasons, the construction work for the bridge has not started yet.
"At present we do not have any provision for bridge construction as the river comes under Irrigation department. However, I will apprise the senior officials about such issues for necessary measures," said Jitendra Mahalika, junior engineer, Rural Development department in Aul.
Earlier, Subhasis Mallick, a student of Kalamada Sasan had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017 about the ordeal of his family in admitting his grandmother to a hospital due to absence of a bridge.
He had requested the Prime Minister to facilitate a 108 vehicle to Kalamada Sasan village to get his grandmother admitted to a hospital. But the Revenue Inspector (RI) arrived in the village in a country boat to take the old woman to the hospital.