• Source:JND
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In a bid to win over voters during the ongoing Bihar Assembly Elections, major political stakeholders in the state have promised to roll out a series of developmental initiatives. From the JD(U)-BJP-led NDA alliance’s ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme to the Mahagathbandhan’s pledge of providing a government job in every household, parties are vying to woo voters with promises of economic growth and social welfare. But in the villages of Pathra, Herhanj and Kewaldih, located 150 kilometres away from Gaya, all these promises of development have been a distant dream over the past decades.

According to a report by NDTV, for the part 77 years, generation after generation has waited patiently for the fulfilment of just one basic demand, a bridge over the Morhar river. The river’s tormenting rush has torn their lives apart, thereby earning the local nickname, ‘the river of helplessness.’ 

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Citing her frustration, a woman said, "We will not vote till the bridge is constructed. Pul nahi to vote nah (We will vote till a bridge is constructed.”

She added that everyone in the village has been suffering for the past 77 years because of the absence of a bridge. "Politicians come and go, but do not fulfil promises. During the monsoons, the level of the river water rises, sometimes till the shoulder. For us, development means construction of the bridge," she further said.

During the peak monsoon season, these villages are completely cut off from the rest of the state and the world. Villagers have to pass through chest-deep water even to access basic amenities like groceries from nearby villages. Children have to miss their schools while farmers are unable to sell their produce in the markets.

"Only we can understand the extent of the problems we face in such situations. We are literally cut off from this place for four months every year," one of the villagers said. 

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Ironically, women who form the backbone of the pre-poll promises of both the major coalitions are cut from all the basic health infrastructure. For Sunil Vishwakarma of Pathra village, the bridge might have meant survival. He tragically passed away on the riverbank while waiting for assistance that never arrived.

"He could not be taken to a hospital because of the river. There was no ambulance and we had to hire a private vehicle to take him to the hospital before he died. The vehicle was on the other side of the river," Viswakarma's mother said. 

For the residents of Pathra, Herhanj, and Kewaldih, development is not about schemes or slogans. It is about a bridge that could finally connect them to safety, education, healthcare, and opportunity. Until then, the river of helplessness continues to define their lives.

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