SIRAHA, July 11: Family members of Pabita Sadaya of Balakawa village of Golbazar Municipality–11 called an ambulance after she started having labor pain on Wednesday morning. The ambulance did move on time but could not reach the village. Citing flood on Mainbatti river, it waited for the patient far away. The ambulance driver called Pabita’s family and asked the needy party to get to the ambulance on their own.

“The driver called and told us that the ambulance could not move forward because of the dangerous level of flood in the river,” the family members said. “He was waiting for us on the other side of the river.”

While Sadaya’s labor pain was escalating, the worried family somehow caught an auto rickshaw and got her to the bank of the river. Sadaya’s mother and sister in law than helped her cross the river, and finally she reached the ambulance.

“It was a precarious move. We were nearly swept away by the river. Sadaya was suffering from labor pain, and the currents were rapid,” the mother in law said.

Sadaya was then rushed to Bhumija Hospital of Golbazar, but her labor pain has not stopped. According to doctors, she might deliver after three days. The family wanted to take her back to home instead of keeping her in the hospital for three days. They wanted to return to the hospital after three days. However, they could not muster the courage to cross the river again.  “We are confused now. Coming here was not a small challenge, now the doctor says we have to wait for three days,” the mother in law lamented. “If we are to return home, we have to cross the raging river. How to handle this?”

Marginalized communities like that of Sadaya mostly live the Balakawa village. Building a concrete bridge over the river has been there long-standing dream. The dream is yet to come true. Every monsoon, this village is isolated from the rest of the world, thanks to the swelling river and the lack of a bridge over it. 

“Those who can swim even in the floods have no problem, but people like us get blocked in the village only,” said a local Bhulardevi Sadaya. “We face problem all the seasons, but during monsoon, things get even worse,” she added.

Since the last few days, children from the village have not attended school. Their attendance depends on the level of water in the river. When it rains, and the river is flooded, children are forced to take leave from school. 

“How can they go to school? We don’t send them. The current in the river is powerful, and if children try to cross it, they might be swept away,” Bhulardevi said.

It is not that initiatives for building a bridge have not been taken. Nearly a decade ago foundation stone of bridge was laid on the bank of the river. The event had hugely excited to the locals. They had thought their days of suffering were over. So many years down the line, things are but just the same. Travelling to school, hospital, and the market is as challenging as before.

“We have to frequent Golbazar for all our needs. Groceries, schools, health checkup, shopping, everything. But reaching there is not easy for us,” said Bhulardevi. “They had laid the foundation stone of the bridge, but they never constructed the bridge.”

The bridge would mean a direct link of the village with settlements around Mahendra Highway. Golbazar would be just a few steps away. Locals had expected that they would have new opportunities, life would be far better once the bridge was constructed. 

According to locals, their dream of a bridge over the river could not materialize due to the government’s apathetic attitude towards them. Though the foundation stone of other six bridges was also laid around the same time, there has been zero progress of this bridge alone. Other six bridges are already built and are operational in the district.

“We complained about the dillydallying, but nobody heard. Because we are poor people, nobody listens to us,” Bhulardevi lamented. “Politicians promised to build the bridge during the local and federal elections, but still they have not taken any initiatives towards it.”

According to another local Jamir Khan, the older generation is not going to reap any benefit now out of the bridge. But let the new generation get it. “So far our people have gone through many hardships in lack of a bridge over the river. As a result, our children cannot go to school during monsoon. It would great if the government would build the bridge,” he said.

 
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