Villagers bridge the gap as admin fails

Sambalpur: People of five villages under Naktideula block of Sambalpur have set an example for others by building a 150-metre long and 5 feet wide wooden bridge across Ankabuda creek. The commuting woes that they had been suffering over years have come to an end. In the past monsoons when the creek in spate used to cut them off from the outer world, they failed to venture out of their marooned villages. People of Dhalataila, Dimirikuda, Ranjha, Ganjabahal and Botajharan villages under Balam panchayat had been pleading with the local administration and the people’s representatives for a bridge across the creek, but all their pleadings fell flat. Fed up with administrative apathy, they resolved to build the bridge with their own labour and resources. In the absence of a bridge, people used to take a detour (Kolo-Balam road) of 19 km to reach the block office. The bridge has reduced the distance to the block office by 10 km, locals said. BDO Vivekananda Sahu said that there is an alternative road to these villages.