Monsoon halts work on Ghaggar bridge in Sirsa

For more than a century, over 20 villages in Sirsa district have relied on a single wooden boat to cross the Ghaggar, awaiting a bridge that has remained a distant promise across generations.

Though formally approved three years ago, the bridge between Budhabhana and Farwai Khurd villages is nowhere near completion. Originally slated to begin in April 2024, work started only a year later, in April 2025. So far, only a few concrete pillars have come up and the monsoon has once again stalled construction.

The 100-metre-long structure, sanctioned at a cost of Rs 8.21 crore, is meant to change lives — shortening travel distances, improving access to schools, markets and hospitals. But with work crawling and water levels rising, residents continue to endure a dangerous and uncertain commute.

Until the bridge is built, a single boat, rowed by Chandiram Kamboj, remains the only lifeline. “Before me, my father, grandfather and even great-grandfather did this,” Chandiram said. His family lineage includes boatmen Bhajan Lal, Pyara Singh and Mathra Das, who once floated people across using iron cauldrons.

In desperate times, villagers resort to a makeshift iron plank bridge — just 2.25 feet wide, built from welded truck chassis. Usable only when the river depth is manageable, it has caused several accidents over the years.

“Crossing the river by boat is scary, but I have no choice if I want to attend school,” said Jyoti, a Class 9 student. “I want to become an officer and help my village grow.”

Others aren’t as lucky. Many girls drop out after Class 10, as families fear sending them across the river each day.

“People will finally stop risking their lives to cross the river,” said Happy Bala, sarpanch of Budhabhana. She said thousands across 20+ villages will benefit once the bridge is complete.

Residents Om Prakash, Nandlal Hooda, Jagdeep Singh and Jagsir Singh all echoed similar concerns — highlighting how the current route to Sirsa city is 22-30 km via Khairekan, while the bridge would bring it down to just 8-12 km, and open direct connectivity to Punjab, only 28 km away from Farwai Khurd.

The demand for a bridge isn’t new. In 2021, over two dozen gram panchayats submitted a joint resolution to then Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala, leading to project approval.

In contrast, villages like Mallewala and Panihari didn’t wait for government help. In 2004, locals constructed a bridge in Mallewala with Rs 2.5 crore raised and led by Sewa Das of Dera Baba Bhumman Shah. Now, villagers hope that the administration will finally deliver. “Construction has begun and we’ll do our best to complete the bridge soon so people don’t have to suffer anymore,” assured Sirsa DC Shantanu Sharma.