Cut off from the world with no network & road connectivity, this Odisha village still in ‘Dark Age’

Cut off from the world by broken paths and absent basic services, the people of this remote village in Kutuniganda under Dharakote block in Ganjam district continue to battle a life of hardship each day. With no proper roads, no clean water supply, no network connectivity and no access to schools or healthcare, survival itself has become a daily struggle for the residents, who walk miles for essentials and carry the sick through forests in desperate hope of medical help.

To collect ration rice, residents walk miles; and when illness or labour pains strike, patients are carried on makeshift cots through forested hill paths to reach the nearest health facility. Many have lost their lives en route, while some women have been forced to deliver babies midway.

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Decades of Neglect

Around twenty families, residing in the village for nearly fifty years, depend on farming cultivating paddy, ragi (Millet), kangu, suan, kandul, and maize. Yet, despite their hard work, the village remains cut off. More than a hundred villagers live without essential facilities, leaving education, healthcare, mobility and livelihood severely disrupted. Children grow up without schooling, and daily life remains a struggle against circumstance.

Repeated Appeals Ignored

Villagers say they have approached the administration multiple times, but their grievances remain unheard. Year after year, promises fade, and the community continues to battle isolation.

“Road, water and network problems persist here. If anyone falls ill, they have to travel a long distance. We continue to face many hardships because of this.” said Shilpa Gamanga, a resident. 

Hope from Authorities

Responding to concerns, the Sub-Collector stated that steps will soon be taken to resolve the village’s basic issues. For now, the residents wait, hoping development will finally reach their long-neglected village.

Kutuniganda stands as a stark reminder of Odisha’s inaccessible pockets where development has yet to arrive. Whether the promises materialise remains to be seen.