BRO builds Bailey bridge in Maoist commander Hidma's village, connecting Chhattisgarh's Sukma to mainstream

Time of India

26-07-2025

RAIPUR: A 15-meter-long Bailey bridge has been built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) right in the heart of CPI (Maoists) commander Hidma's native village, Puvarti, linking the once-isolated and inaccessible rebel stronghold with the broader road network and Sukma district headquarters for the first time in decades.
For the villagers of Puvarti and surrounding hamlets like Silger, Duler, and Elmaguda, the bridge brings relief from decades of isolation, especially during the monsoon, when water-logged terrain made travel nearly impossible and these regions turned into islands. Locals had to wade through overflowing streams and rough jungle trails, often risking their lives to reach markets or health centres.
'The 15-meter-long steel bridge, a critical component of the Silger–Puvarti road corridor, now links over a dozen remote villages to district headquarters, marking a new era of accessibility, even during peak monsoon,' said Sukma SP Kiran Chavan.
SP added, 'The bridge has been constructed by BRO in very short time. This is not just a physical bridge. It will be a lifeline for the people of Puvarti, Hidma's village, and surrounding hamlets that were previously cut off from basic services. It now directly connects these villages to Sukma and Dantewada via Jagargunda, transforming the development landscape.'
Officials in Bastar told TOI, 'This marks a crucial milestone in India's push to integrate conflict-affected tribal interiors into the mainstream.
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The area had remained under heavy Maoist control for over four decades. Now, BRO's swift construction, carried out under tight security cover, has for the first time enabled all-weather movement of security forces, essential goods, traders, and civilians between once fiercely Maoist-affected regions Silger, Puvarti, and Jagargunda.
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The bridge's completion is part of the component of Rs 66 crore central government project, which includes the construction of 64 km of all-weather roads across Naxal-affected Sukma.
Of this, a 51 km road stretch from Elmaguda to Puvarti is being constructed at a cost of Rs 53 crore, directly benefiting villages like Silger, Timmapuram, Gollakonda, Tekulguda, Jabbagatta, and Tumalpad.
'During monsoon, this entire belt was completely cut off. Now, with this bridge, not only will civilians move freely, but so will development,' a local official said.
Until recently, this area was dominated by Maoist leaders Hidma and Deva, with BRO construction virtually impossible due to IED threats and ambushes.
However, after security forces established a forward base camp in the region from last year, Maoist presence shrunk to pockets.
What is a Bailey Bridge?
A Bailey Bridge is a modular, pre-fabricated truss bridge made from steel, joined by nuts and bolts, allowing rapid deployment in difficult terrains. Invented during the 1940s by Donald Bailey for military use, it is now widely used by armed forces and emergency relief agencies. The bridge doesn't require heavy machinery for installation and is ideal for remote or flood-affected areas, border zones, and disaster recovery efforts.
The Bailey bridge, built using pre-fabricated steel segments, is capable of withstanding the load of heavy military and commercial vehicles.