Sunabeda/Semiliguda: In the absence of a bridge, students from several villages under Charangul panchayat in Semiliguda block have been forced to risk their lives as they have to cross the Kolab reservoir by country boat daily in order to reach their school. Children from six villages including Lenjiguda, Khalpadi and Gaudaguda, who study at Jagannath Vidyapeeth and TRW High School, have to cross the reservoir in unsafe country boats, a situation fraught with danger. Years ago, the government had provided a motorised boat to ferry the students. But for the past three years, it has remained defunct. Not only is the boat out of service, but it also lacks an operator, the students said. This issue affects not just the students, but the entire local population. Residents of these villages rely on the boat for day-to-day needs, including travel to hospitals, banks and tehsil office. While taking the road would require a detour of nearly 15 km, crossing the reservoir reduces the journey to just one kilometre.
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Villagers allege that although a bridge was sanctioned by the previous government, the project has remained buried under bureaucratic red tape. When contacted, Charangul panchayat sarpanch Phulmati Pujari confirmed that funds for the bridge had been approved and the Rural Development department had completed a survey. However, she admitted ignorance about the reason for the delay in construction. She also acknowledged that the motor of the government boat was non-functional and that the BDO had been informed.
Local MLA Ramachandra Kadam, when alerted to the children’s risky commute, stated that all necessary arrangements for the bridge construction had been completed. He assured that tenders would be floated soon and construction work would begin by year-end.
