In an era of infra growth, Kosi-Seemanchal region still relies on bamboo bridges

On February 2, Lok Sabha MP from Madhepura Dinesh Chandra Yadav said on the floor of the House that one-km –long bamboo bridge over a catchment area of the turbulent Kosi river at Hatighat in Saharsa’s Nauhatta block nothing but a blot in the face of developed India

Despite infrastructure in Bihar getting attention of both the central and state governments and being the focus of the “next stage development”, the Kosi-Seemanchal region is still dependent on old-style bamboo bridges to combat annual flooding and facilitating transportation. The issue recently resonated in Parliament when an MP of ruling JD(U) raised it in the ongoing Budget Session.

In an era of infra growth, Kosi-Seemanchal region still relies on bamboo bridges

On February 2, Lok Sabha MP from Madhepura Dinesh Chandra Yadav said on the floor of the House that one-km –long bamboo bridge over a catchment area of the turbulent Kosi river at Hatighat in Saharsa’s Nauhatta block nothing but a blot in the face of developed India. He added that though such bridges are lifelines for locals as they are the only available arrangement for transportation, their vulnerability poses risks for their users. “These lifelines are beset with hazards and threats,” he said.

The bamboo bridges are local endeavours to cope with problems of absence of proper bridges. Locals themselves assemble bamboo and other materials and build these bridges, which sometimes prove hazardous as they collapse because of heavy weight of people, vehicular movement and often with swift flow of flood waters.

Talking to the HT, the MP said, “The innovative initiative )of building bamboo bridges) was born out of the people’s keen observation of the daily struggles faced by them as the villagers had to take a long detour, often facing difficulties in accessing markets, schools, healthcare facilities or block and district headquarters.”

“The people took matters into their own hands, created a practical solution by making bamboo bridges, and I must say, this practical solution significantly improved their lives in flood-prone areas.

Expressing hope, he said, “The government must look into the matter and I can say that in the coming days you will see permanent bridges replacing bamboo bridges.”

A one-km-long bamboo bridge at Hatighat was constructed with an estimated cost of ₹12 lakh by the people with their own money and it is said to have been made of over 4,000 bamboo and quintals of rope.

“This is offering the hope for the people of over six panchayats, including Nawla, Bakuria,Sattar, Murlikatwa and others to access markets and block headquarters and they spend (HOW MUCH???) annually over its maintenance especially when water level reduces,” Saharsa-based social activist Amit Anand said and appreciated the local MP for raising the issue in Parliament.

On January 11, RJD MLA from Mahishi Assembly constituency (Saharsa) Gautam Krishna inaugurated a one-km-long Bamboo Bridge locally known as Chachri Pool at Kedali Ghat over the river Kosi. “We will continue to fight for a permanent bridge and we’ll raise the issue within the Assembly and even protest for this on roads,” the first-time RJD MLA said, alleging that the state government was showing apathy towards the suffering of the common people.

The demand for a permanent bridge in the area has been raised by the locals for years, but even though the annual flood season wreaks havoc, it seems to have fallen on indifferent years.

“People have been demanding a permanent bridge here for years but the government has so far not paid any heed to their demand,” Amit Anand said and alleged, “This is why the region has been left behind in development since Independence. Despite evident risks, villagers cross the precarious structure on foot, motorcycles and even auto rickshaws.”

He pointed out many accidents when several people had to lose their lives after boats capsized during floods. “During floods, these bridges pose excessive threats and people take to boats to reach markets or hospitals and sometimes the boats capsize leaving many people dead.”

Terming it a problem for North Bihar, Anand said, “Dozens of bamboo bridges in North Bihar especially in Kosi, Seemanchal and Mithilanchal belie the development claims being made by the central as well as state government.”

A bamboo bridge over Berdah stream at Koriyapatti under Devipur Panchayat in Raghopur block of Supaul district is another example of government’s apathy. Here too, villagers have built it at their own cost. “When administration and our elected representatives failed, we tried our best to improve our lives with limited resources and we can say that the bamboo bridge has saved many ailing people,” a local Manoj Kumar Mehta said, adding, “Our bamboo bridge reduces the distance by 6-km to access the main road.”

Similarly, locals at Nandniya village under Baisa block in Purnea district alleged, “When our demand for a RCC (Reinforced Concrete Cement) bridge remained unheard, we constructed a 100-meter-long bamboo bridge at the cost of our money ₹50,000 to connect with Nandaniya village under Baisa block in Purnea.”

AIMIM MLA Akhatarul Iman, when contacted, said, “The tender of this proposed RCC bridge is in process and within a month tender is likely to be completed paving the way for the permanent bridge here.”

Such bamboo bridges serve the people in their day to day work in Purnea, Katihar, Madhepura, Saharsa, Supaul, Kishanganj (Seemanchal and Kosi) besides in Madhubani, Darbhanga, Khagaria, Bhagalpur and other flood affected districts in Bihar.

They are strewn across 37 assembly segments and 7 Lok Sabha constituencies, with legislators so far only paying lip service to replace them with pucca structures.