A bridge too far…from completion

It has been five years since the bridge connecting Vadodara and Kwant talukas on the Heran,a tributary of Narmada,has been under construction.

It has been five years since the bridge connecting Vadodara and Kwant talukas on the Heran,a tributary of Narmada,has been under construction. This causes hardships to the local tribals,especially during the monsoon months when the road becomes out of bounds for vehicles. Despite several memoranda and complaints by the taluka panchayat members of the region,the district administration is yet to take cognisance of the issue.

Narsinh Rathwa,who used to sell his vegetable produce at Kwant market till the rains started across Gujarat,now sits on the other side of the road that connects Bodeli and Vadodara. When the Heran gets flooded every year during monsoon,river water damages the road. I don’t have enough money to take a detour of 20 km to sell vegetables in Kwant. So,I sell them here so that other villagers from Pangadh do not have to go to the market through the broken road, Rathwa said. He also stops cars from taking the road.

Members of the taluka panchayat have placed stones on the road but that is still inadequate. Lilaben Rathwa of the taluka panchayat questioned the apathetic attitude of the state government towards the tribal district. The bridge was supposed to be completed by the end of 2008. We had sent several complaints to the then district collector,Rajiv Topno,and the district development officer of Vadodara to finish the work or fix the existing road. Even when the police come in,they have to come via Naswadi,taking a detour of at least 35 kilometres from Bodeli or take 20 km detour from Pangadh through broken roads. This had happened after the custodial death of BSF personnel Noora Rathwa when additional force had to be called in to Hamirpura village, added Rathwa.

Incidentally,the bridge that is still under construction with only 60 per cent of the work being completed is under the state highway project. But as district officials say,several contractors have been assigned the job,but they leave fearing the tribals. We are aware of the problem. I have already instructed the engineers to find good contractors for the project. However,with rains in the city,work has been stopped,” Vadodara District Development Officer L C Patel.

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