Bridges washed away, trollies ferrying children to schools

Neena Sharma

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 12

Engrossed as it is in the construction of Char Dham all-weather road project, the TS Rawat government in Uttarakhand seems completely oblivious of the misery of the residents of several villages in Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi, who are forced to risk their lives while crossing rivers in the absence of bridges.

The apathy and neglect of the government is all too evident in Vijay Nagar that falls in Rudraprayag district, where schoolchildren have no option but to use trollies or some make-shift arrangement to cross the Mandakini to reach their schools.

The only bridge in Vijay Nagar was damaged in the 2013 natural disaster. Even after five years, no efforts have been made to construct a bridge. “School children here wait for their turns for the trolley that takes them across the river. In the monsoon season when the river Mandakini is in spate the danger that the children endure is difficult to explain,” said Manoj Rawat, MLA from Kedarnath.

He said that the government should focus on improving inter village connectivity as it will help the villagers immensely.

According to the district administration around 45 accidents have taken place in which five children had lost their lives and several were injured. Though the approval was given for the construction of a bridge and Rs 1 crore was sanctioned the work is yet to take off.

In Uttarkashi district, the situation is no different. Here around 15 villages still use trollies and make-shift ropes to cross the river, here too several accidents have occurred due to trollies falling down midway.

Two years ago two children, while crossing river Asi Ganga that connects Saiku village, had fallen sustaining serious injuries. Several villagers too have sustained injuries. “The lives of these villagers revolve around trollies and some even use ropes that are hung across the trees to cross the rivers,” said Lokender Bisht, a social activist.

In the 2012 and 2013 natural disaster several bridges were washed away and trollies were put up for transportation that are now creaky as they lack proper and regular up-keep.

5 children lost lives in Rudraprayag 

According to Rudraprayag  administration, around 45 accidents have taken place in which five children had lost their lives. Though the approval was given for the construction of a bridge and Rs 1 crore was sanctioned the work is yet to take off. 

No less than an  ordeal in Uttarkashi 

In Uttarkashi district, the situation is no different. Around 15 villages still use trollies and make-shift ropes to cross the river. Here too, several accidents have occurred due to trollies falling down midway.