Berhampur: Hundreds of people including schoolchildren, office workers and petty traders risk their lives every day while crossing the Rushikulya River over a 500-meter long railway bridge.
For these villagers the railway bridge is the only link to go to Ganjam town. They use the railway bridge to cross the river despite regular accidents. Otherwise, they will have to travel an extra eight km to cross the river using the new road bridge constructed on NH-16.
According to sources, a pre-Independence era road bridge existed near the railway bridge, and people used to cross the river using it. The old bridge broke down and a new one was constructed eight km from the village in 2003.
As people have to cover an extra eight km to reach the road bridge they started using the railway bridge. If a train approaches the bridge people have to stick to the iron bars of the bridge to save themselves from the train.
“The administration constructed a new bridge. But we have to travel an extra eight km to reach it. So people use the railway bridge which is near their village to cross the river,” a local said.
People demanded construction of a footpath along the railway bridge to provide a safe passage. They also demanded construction of a new road bridge near the village so that people do not have to use the railway bridge.
Four Kanwariyas were killed while they were walking through a railway bridge in Rourkela.
PNN