Kandhamal: Officials in Odisha’s Kandhamal district have removed electric cables and ropes that villagers used to cross a river in Odisha’s Kandhamal district.
The officials acted after videos and photos of people precariously perched on aluminum ropes while crossing the stream went viral on social media. More than 150 people of a village used to cross the river this way.
On September 23, the photos and videos of poor tribals of Birindipada village crossing the Kalipenu stream, tributary of Khadag river, went viral. Several people slammed the state government for its failure in building a bridge over the river.
One Twitter user named Kishlay Sharma wrote: “Incredible India. Picture from Kandhamal, Odisha. After 20 years of solid development by Naveen Patnaik. Imagine , we Indians take such risks even for basics like going out to market or school. Just imagine.” Another Twitter user named Kasturi Mishra wrote: “The true picture of rural Odisha Kandhamal, when the state government always claims to be number one.”
The videos and photos showed women, elderly persons and youngsters dangerously balancing themselves on the 60-meter rope while a river was flowing down below.
“It has been our only way of getting to Gunjibadi grampanchayat office for collecting our food grains and get several other social assistance schemes, said Nakula Pradhan, a tribal farmer of Birindapada village. During rainy days they used the ropes to get across the river.
But after the video was shown on TV, the local Block Development Officer and other officials came and removed the rope. “We are now helpless,” Pradhan said.
Sub-collector of Baliguda, Subhankar Mohapatra said the area has a permanent bridge over Kalipenu river connecting Brindapada village to Gunjibadi grampanchayat.
“The permanent bridge is only 2 km away from Brindapada. But to cut corners, the villagers used the unsafe ropeway occasionally. The ropeway has been removed immediately and people asked to use the permanent bridge,” said the sub-collector.
However, the sarpanch said the district administration’s advice was not practical as they have to travel 4 km of hilly roads to reach the new bridge that was constructed 5 years ago.
“From the bridge, they would have to travel another 8 km to reach the gram panchayat office. But if they take the ropeway, they just have to cover less than 4 km to reach the gram panchayat office,” said Gunjibadi sarpanch Lingaraj Pradhan.
Pradhan said it is not just Brindapada, at least 4 more villages in his panchayat faced the same problem of reaching the panchayat office as they have to cross the Kalipenu river.
“For over 500 people of Taperikia, Tipidinga, Bagadi and Guduripada villages under Gunjibadi panchayat, ropeway is the only means of getting across the river. Like Bindapada, we have been demanding small bridges across the river near those villages for years together,” he said.
Farmer Prusty Pradhan of Brindapada village said crossing the river on a cable was “a nightmare for us. We carry agricultural and other sundry goods while crossing.”
At times the villagers carry a patient across the river to the nearest healthcare center, he said.
The government, instead of removing the ropes, should build a bridge near our village as we can’t travel long distances to reach the gram panchayat office and hospital,” said Pradhan.
Housewife Lubang Pradhan said she is afraid of crossing the swelling river by holding on to the ropes in both her hands. “There have been several incidents of people falling and being swept away while crossing the river. We are always scared,” she added.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/a-tightrope-walk-for-river-crossing-in-odisha-s-kandhamal-video-is-viral/story-aLGm0Mdeb7TnD4kkZBGXwK.html
Didn’t Justice for Kandhamal group, who have been creating so much smoke and fire from this region, know about this earlier or they chose to ignore it? Whoever posted the viral video did a yeoman’s service to these hapless people. It is incredibly irresponsible on the part of the lady to do the crossing carrying a child in her arms.
Shame on the State and Central Governments! Even today many remote villages in Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh do not have proper roads, public transport, clean water, sanitation and electricity etc. Most of the government schemes are implemented ON PAPERS. The politicians and the bureaucrats SWINDLE people’s money. I have seen many such cases when I worked in Jharkhand.
I am surprised that no NGO or Church has done anything to alleviate the problem faced by the people of this village in Odisha.
Life is fragile yet a precious gift. The Rope Trick is full of grave dangers. Voters have a right to walk on a safe bridge as they go to cast their precious votes during the Panchayat, Zilla, State, and the Parliamentary elections.