Kendrapara: Over four years ago, the foundation stone for a bridge across the crocodile-infested Dantuani river, a branch of Brahmani, was laid at Palanda. Since then, much water has flown down the river but the bridge, a Biju Setu project, is yet to see the light of the day.
At least 3,000 people of Palanda (Halapata), Dholamara, Gadapari, Kusunpur and Lokanathprasad villages depend on a bamboo bridge to cross the river to attend to their daily work on the other side.
Every day, hundreds of school and college students from these villages cross the rickety bridge, under constant fear for their lives. If not alert, they run the danger of falling down into the crocodile-infested river.
They are dependent on the bamboo bridge to reach Chandibaunsamula-based Sri Jagannath High School, Sabitri Devi Girls High School, Laxminarayan Sanskrit School, Gopabandhu Sisu Mandir and Nalinikanta Mohanty Mahavidyalaya.
The college students cross the bridge by carrying their bicycles on shoulders; or, park their cycles at Palanda and walk the bamboo structure. During the examination time, the students fail to reach in time and face a lot of difficulties.
Locals use the bamboo bridge to go to Jarimula and Chandibaunsamula market to buy household and grocery items and attend to work in Chandibaunsamula panchayat office, local co-operative society office, veterinary office, Ayurvedic Health Centre and banks, said Puspalata Pradhan, sarpanch of Chandibaunsamula gram panchayat.
A local, Jairam Rout, alleged that there were instances when a couple of children had fallen into the river after they slipped from the bridge while on their way to school. Luckily, they had not been attacked by crocodiles, he said.
Former MLA of Rajnagar, Alekha Jena, had laid the foundation stone for the Biju Setu March 3, 2014. Though more than four years have passed, the construction work has not started yet, locals said.
When contacted, Gunadhar Samal, assistant executive engineer of rural development department, said earlier a tender was invited and contract work awarded to an agency. But, soil test done for the project showed that its design was not suitable for a bridge. As a result, the agency opted out of the contract work.
About a month back, a revised design for the bridge has got the administrative approval. Shortly, the authorities would invite tenders and the bridge work would be started after the tender process, Samal said.
PNN
