MANDWI: Deep inside the Baldung area of Aarhi Panchayat under the Mandwi R.D. Block, residents are risking their lives daily by crossing a raging stream over a fragile, self-made bamboo footbridge (sanko). The absence of a concrete culvert has cut off the village, causing immense suffering to school children, the elderly, and medical emergencies.
For years, the local community has been aggressively demanding the construction of a permanent box culvert over the stream. Despite repeatedly knocking on the doors of local Member of District Council (MDC) Jagadish Debbarma and Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Swapna Debbarma, the villagers allege that their pleas have completely fallen on deaf ears.
Frustrated by political apathy and administrative neglect, the villagers took matters into their own hands, piecing together bamboo poles to create a makeshift bridge. However, navigating this unstable structure during the monsoon seasons poses a critical threat to life.
With their patience running out, the residents of Mandwi Baldung have issued a collective ultimatum to the state government, demanding immediate intervention and the swift sanctioning of a box culvert before a fatal accident occurs.