Nuapada: Communication between Odisha and Chhattisgarh was disrupted after Khalana bridge on the border of Nuapada district caved in due to heavy rains for the last two days, a report said.
Thousands of people who used to operate on this route on a daily basis are now inconvenienced.
The Khalana bridge is 8 km from the district headquarters of Nuapada, sharing borders with the neighbouring state.
Given the significance of communication on the borders, the rural development department has laid a road. A bridge on the route was built with funds of the block administration about eight years ago.
Thousands of people living in ten panchayats on both sides usually use the route for various purposes including trading.
“The bridge turns to bad shape in every three to four years and requires renovation. Contractors are awarded its work, but they botch up its renovation instead. Thus, lakhs of rupees go down the drain. In the monsoon, woes of the people multiply,” Satya Sundar Mohanty, a local, said.
Locals said that heavy rains lashed the area for two days, triggering floods in the nearby river and the bridge caved in. Acres of land on both sides of the river were cast with sand, they lamented.
People have no way, but to wade through chest high water to cross the river now, they added.
Locals have apprised the officials of the rural development department about the bridge.
When asked about it, Suresh Rai, the executive engineer of the Rural Development division said that the matter was being looked into and a report has been submitted to the higher authorities.
“We have proposed the department in February for a bigger bridge in view of commuting importance on the border areas. The work of the bridge will be undertaken,” Rai assured.
