Ponda: The lockdown and exodus of migrant labours has affected developments works in the State.One such project that has come to a standstill, much to the dismay of the Ambe –Dulai villagers, is the under-construction bandhara cum footbridge over the river.
The locals of the Dharbandora-based village, have been crying out for the bridge work to be completed for some time now, as in its absence, they have to deal with a lot of inconvenience. And with the monsoons approaching, they will have to face difficulties again in crossing the river, which flows between Ambe and Dulai, separating the two.
It may be recalled that local MLA and PWD Minister had earlier assured the villages that the bridge would be completed and open by the end of May. Incidentally the work on the bridge began two years ago, while the recent lockdown meant work on it was paused and then could not be resumed due to the unavailability of labour.
The locals lament that their area lacks basic facilities and doesn’t have a passenger bus service. Thus, they are forced to go to the neighbouring Dabal village for their shopping or to be able to get to their place of work or educational institutes. To get to the other side, they have to either cross the river or cover a distance of seven kms. The villagers complained that this road stretch is also in a terrible condition.
It is to be noted this is the same river near Dudhsagar, on which the OPA water treatment plant operates from. WRD has been constructing a bandhara to meet the water requirements in the summer and also the footbridge to help the locals overcome their problems.
While in the summer, the water levels are knee-deep, which allows the locals to cross the river, it is at great risk to attempt to cross the river during the monsoons.
