Bridge To Nowhere: Tribals At Risk As Gadchiroli River Swells

Time of India

18 hours ago

Nagpur: Every monsoon, the Gundenur River in Naxal-hit Gadchiroli district swells into a raging wall of water, cutting off dozens of tribal villages from the outside world. The bridge that was supposed to end the ordeal of the villagers remains a skeletal, half-built structure, a cruel reminder of official neglect.
On the Laheri–Narayanpur stretch of National Highway 352 in Bhamragad taluka, the unfinished bridge over the Gundenur River has become a seasonal death trap. Villagers say the construction has dragged on for years, with little urgency from either the local administration or the contractor.
Meanwhile, the consequences of this indifference play out in real time — with pregnant women unable to reach hospitals, children missing school for weeks, and patients dying before they can access medical care.
"In the last few years, we've seen women give birth on makeshift boats or on the roadside. Critically ill villagers have been carried across flooded riverbeds on cots, risking both their lives and those of the rescuers," says Datta Shirke, president of Jan Sangharsh Samiti, a Nagpur-based NGO, working in the remote areas of the backward district for many years. He adds, "Even after 78 years of independence, tribal villages in Gadchiroli still wait for a basic connection to the outside world.
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The state govt cleared the project long ago, but ground realities tell a different story. While the tender was floated and funds sanctioned, local allegations suggest that the nexus between contractors and district officials has stalled progress. "This is not just about infrastructure, this is about dignity and survival," says Shirke. "The administration is gambling with tribal lives."
The absence of the bridge has effectively turned the region into an island during monsoons.
Roads are submerged, ambulances cannot reach patients, and students are forced to skip school for weeks. The economic impact is also severe, with farmers unable to transport their produce and labourers losing daily wages.
Residents have repeatedly petitioned district authorities for temporary arrangements during the rainy season, such as emergency boats or makeshift transport bridges, but their pleas have largely gone unanswered.
"We feel abandoned," says a villager who stays in the affected villages. "In the name of development, we only got promises," he added.
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he Jan Sangharsh Samiti has now demanded immediate resumption and completion of the bridge work, along with emergency health and mobility infrastructure for the upcoming monsoon weeks. "If the state doesn't act now, it must be prepared to answer for every life lost," warns Shirke.
In a region where connectivity is the difference between life and death, a bridge left half-done is not just a failure of infrastructure, it is a betrayal of citizens.
Gadchiroli Collector Avishyant Panda told TOI that the construction of the National Highway bridge near Gundenur is on track and expected to be completed by March 2026. "The delays were primarily due to security concerns arising from Naxal activities.
Police presence was essential to ensure uninterrupted work," he said.
He added that the remoteness of the region caused significant logistical hurdles. "Labour, machinery, and material supply was often disrupted, but efforts are underway to make up for the lost time." On mitigation, Panda said, "Boats have been deployed, and no one is allowed to cross the river without supervision. We are monitoring the situation closely and have visited the site multiple times."
The collector also said a list of pregnant women is maintained, with arrangements to shift them to near PHCs. "Medicines and ration for three months have already been distributed in the affected villages," he said.