Dahanu hamlet gets iron bridge after using wooden logs to cross canal for 30 years

According to Sankhe, in the last 3 decades, around 23 locals have fallen into the flowing canal while crossing.

Palghar: In a major relief for the residents of Sonale and Kodepada in Dahanu taluka, an iron bridge has been built over the Surya canal so people can cross the bank without risking their lives. Since 1992, the 500 odd residents would use a shaky wooden log placed between the two spans of the canal to cross over. A resident of Boisar resident, Vaibhav Sankhe, constructed the new iron bridge with railings after he saw the plight of women and children of the village.

Vaibhav Sankhe (in white) with villagers on the new bridge. (HT PHOTO)

I came to know about the risk the villagers faced for decades while crossing over and decided to chip in, said Sankhe, a small-time builder.

“It was a horrifying sight to see women balancing steel pots filled with water on their heads while crossing the canal. One wrong step and they could have fallen into the canal and swept away,” said Sankhe.

Similarly, students would also cross over with satchels to reach their school, he said, adding that during the monsoon, the wooden log would be slippery and dangerous.

According to Sankhe, in the last 3 decades, around 23 locals have fallen into the flowing canal while crossing. Swimmers from the area would dive in to save the tribals as the canal is around 15 feet deep and over-flowing with water from the Surya river meant to irrigate farmlands, said Sankhe.

The Irrigation Department Palghar, which had constructed the Surya dam, told Sankhe to wait for at least a year for a permanent solution.

“I cannot wait for such bureaucratic wrangles and decided to chip in. I also approached Eknath Shinde, PWD Minister, in this regard and he assured me of help for a permanent solution,” the builder added.

In the meantime, Sankhe decided to construct an iron railing bridge. “I contacted my architect friend who prepared the design and with the help of a fabricator got to work. The 2mX15m bridge cost me around ₹6.5 lakh. It was ready in a month on 21 April,” said Sankhe.

An official from the irrigation department, Palghar, admitted the issue saying, “All decisions in this regard are taken at Thane head office.”

“It will take at least a year, probably till April 2023, to get budgetary sanctions passed for the construction of the bridge from the Irrigation Department at Mantralaya,” the official said requesting anonymity.

Aditya Thackeray, tourism minister, has also assured Sankhe that a decision has been taken to speed up the matter of constructing a permanent bridge to connect the two villages and things may brighten up soon.

The villagers, meanwhile, are elated to have the iron railing bridge as they do not have to risk their lives by using the slippery old wooden log to cross over the canal.