While most people in the world are busy looking out only for themselves, an oarsman from Odisha put his entire life’s savings to help his villagers.
Named Jaydev Bhatra(55), the oarsman is from Kantasaruguda village of Nabarangpur district built a bamboo bridge that has become the only way of communication between two districts (Koraput and Nabrangpur) of Odisha. The bridge is built across the Indravati river, where the oarsman rows boat for a living.
CM Naveen Pattnaik laid a foundation stone in 2016 at Nabrangpur’s Chirma village. The project deadline estimated at ₹16.30 crore was first extended to 2019 and then to February 2021. But in five years, not a single pillar of the bridge was constructed.
Jaydev Bhatra took the helm when the administration paid no heed to repeated urges from the villagers.
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He used more than 600 bamboos, plastic wire, and nails to build the 110 meters long and 6 feet high bridge. About 60 laborers were deployed for the construction. Jaydev used his own resources. He went to the extent of selling off his land, which was being used to cultivate sugarcane.
“People of both districts were facing lots of problems due to lack of bridge. Despite our frequent appeals, the administration did not take any steps and so I decided to make a bridge for the people with my own money. I spent about Rs 1 lakh for this but I am very happy with the outcome,” said Jaydev Bhatra.
Jaydev’s bridge comes as a boon for the localites who can now cross over easily to the respective districts. They have expressed their happiness and gratitude to Jaydev for his deed.
A similar initiative was taken by Gangadhar Rout from Kanpur village in the Keonjhar district of Odisha in 2019. He spent his retirement funds to build a bridge for his villagers across the Salandi river.